NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- In what is sure to be a preview of a tremendous rivalry in the making, the 17th-ranked Christopher Newport Captains (28-2) erased a six-point halftime deficit and edged out future conference foe Marymount University, 56-50, in Saturday's NCAA Tournament Second Round. CNU will join the Capital Athletic Conference in July, making the gritty defensive battle a precursor of many future league matchups between the two teams. 

Marymount, the 2013 CAC champions, ended its season with a 24-5 overall record. The Captains will take on Montclair State (29-0), in the NCAA Sweet 16 next weekend, and await word from the NCAA on a site and time to be determined. It will be the Red Hawks first ever appearance in the Sweet 16 and CNU's second in the last three years. The other half of the NCAA Sectional includes top-ranked DePauw University (31-0) and Washington University-St. Louis (23-5). 

The win would not be an easy one for CNU on Saturday, facing one of the toughest defenses in the nation. The Saints were holding opponents to 46.8 points per game coming into the Second Round matchup, ranking among the top ten nationally. Early in the game, Marymount flexed its defensive muscle and took a double-digit lead. A layup from Miranda Krott on an assist by CAC Player of the Year Katelyn Fischer made the score 21-11 with 6:48 remaining in the first half. The CNU offense was just 4-for-15 to start the game, leading to the deficit. 

After a timeout, the CNU defense, also nationally ranked in the top ten, amped up its pressure and forced a few Marymount turnovers to cut into the lead. At halftime, the Saints held a 28-22 advantage, with both teams combining for 23 points off of turnovers. 

The momentum shifted early in the second half, as the Captains came out of the locker room on fire. CNU traded baskets on the first two possessions, before rookie Brandi Holland hit Camry Green on a pretty assist down low for two, cutting the lead to four, 32-28. Then, on the next time down the floor, senior Kelly Halverson connected on a three-pointer from the corner to make it a one-point game, 32-31. Halverson was 0-4 in the first half, but connected on her second try in the second half for a big shot. 

A turnover by Fischer led to two more points for CNU as Holland again found Green and CNU took the lead, 33-32, with 15:51 remaining. Kievanna Lacey stopped the bleeding for Marymount, as CNU started the second half on an 11-4 run to take the lead. Lacey got a steal in the open court and knocked down the fast-break layup for the Saints with 14:39 remaining.

CNU then leaned on junior Nicole Mitchell, who stepped up in to give CNU's largest lead of the game, a three-point edge at 37-34, by knocking down a pair of jumpers: one from 17 feet and the other a turnaround hook inside the paint.

Halverson and Holland traded key moments in the final ten minutes, as the senior knocked down a three-pointer with 10:08 remaining, and the freshman added a layup (8:26) and long three (6:40), to give CNU a five-point edge, 47-42. Then, back to Halverson as the Captains lone fourth-year player drilled her third trey of the game with 5:12 remaining and put CNU up by a game-high eight points, 50-42. 

With less than five minutes remaining, the CNU defense kept up the pressure and made enough free-throws to hold on for a six-point win, 56-50. The Captains team defense was the key throughout, leading to 25 points off of turnovers. Marymount turned the ball over 23 times, as CNU grabbed 10 steals. 

Marymount was led by Tynisha Parks with 18 points, six rebounds, four steals and two blocks. Katelyn Fischer had eight assists and Lacey added 12 points. 

CNU got the 12th double-double of the year from Camry Green, grabbing 14 rebounds and 10 points, while Mitchell had a stellar second-half to finish with 18 points. Tia Perry rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points, adding three steals and a block.