(Carlisle, Pa.) – The Dickinson men's basketball team had a strong start against #2-ranked Christopher Newport but the visiting Captains put together a solid run in the second half to post a 76-56 win at the Kline Center.

The Red Devils struggled from the three-point line in the first half, hitting just 1-of-8 attempts. Junior Justus Melton (Charlotte, N.C./Covenant Day) helped keep the lead to single digits with a solid first half, hitting 4-of-7 shots while sophomore Jule Brown (Ardmore, Pa./Lower Merion) carried the Devils in the early minutes.

Melton buried a three-pointer to open the game as Dickinson jumped out to a quick, 9-2, lead. The Captains pulled even and used a 10-2 run to pull in front, 22-14, with just under 12 minutes remaining in the first half.

Christopher Newport stretched the margin to 14, but the Red Devils closed out the half with a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to 37-28. Melton led the charge with a pair of field-goals and a free throw in the final two minutes.

Melton scored the first nine points of the second half for the Devils as they pulled within five at the 16:13 mark. Dickinson trailed by nine at the midpoint of the second half before Christopher Newport put together a 9-0 clip to stretch the margin to 61-43.

Dickinson played even over the final seven minutes but was unable to close the gap as the Captains improve to 3-1 on the season.

Christopher Newport had four players reach double-figures, led by Tim Daly with 18 points and eight rebounds, and Marcus Carter with a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Melton led the Red Devils with a game-high 20 points, adding three rebounds and a pair of steals. Brown tallied seven points, dishing out five assists to go with a steal and blocked shot.

Sophomore Elijah Wright (Orange, N.J./The Pennington School) added eight points, three blocked shots, two assists and two steals while junior Moses Romocki (Creedmoor, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons) chipped in with seven points as well.

The Red Devils drop their first of the season to slip to 3-1 overall. They return to Centennial Conference action on Thursday night, traveling to McDaniel College for an 8:00 pm tip-off.