NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Powered by a pair of double-doubles from senior Nicole Mitchell and junior Camry Green, the 15th-ranked Captains handed eighth-ranked York College (Pa.) their first loss of the season, snapping an 18-game winning streak to start the season. Christopher Newport (16-2, 9-1) won their 11th straight game in thrilling fashion, dropping the Spartans (18-1, 10-1) in overtime, 67-64. 

Mitchell's 17 points and ten rebounds helped lead the Captains offensively, but it was a pair of huge defensive possessions by the senior that sealed the victory for Christopher Newport. Facing a two-point deficit with 1:38 remaining in the overtime period, Mitchell jumped a passing lane and got teammate Tia Perry to the line for two shots. Then, on the very next inbounds play, Mitchell again leaped in front of a pass to pick up her fifth steal of the game.

The theft led to another trip to the free-throw line, where Mitchell knocked down one shot, but missed the second. Fortunately, senior Andrea Hobbs rushed in for the offensive rebound and slipped in a contested layup to put the Captains up by three, 64-61 with 41 seconds remaining. 

CNU would then send Brittany Hicks to the line on the Spartans' next possession, but the senior managed to hit just one shot. Forced to foul, York saw the lead grow to four when Mitchell knocked down two more free throws, and were unable to get back even as the Captains held on for the thrilling win. 

Christopher Newport extends their home winning streak to 24 games, the fifth longest active streak in NCAA Division III.

Hicks looked to be the hero for York late in regulation, as she rattled home a tough three-point shot with 1.1 seconds left on the clock to tie the game at 57 and force overtime.

The hotly contested matchup saw 14 lead changes and 11 deadlocks, and neither team led by more than six points in the game. CNU held a 23-22 edge at halftime, led by nine points from Mitchell in the defensive-heavy opening stanza. CNU was shooting just 29.6% from the field at the break, on 8-of-27 shooting. 

Early in the second half, the Captains built the lead to a game-high six, 32-26, after a small 9-4 spurt was led by Perry's five quick points. CNU was able to keep the Spartans at arms length for the bulk of the second half, but York took the lead again with 8:58 remaining on a three-point play from Kristen Haley. The teams teetered back and forth for the remainder, as neither team could create any distance.

Strong rebounding was key for CNU, as Camry Green led a performance that saw the Captains outrebound York (Pa.) by 16, with 50 rebounds in the game. Green had 15, including seven offensive boards that helped CNU score 20 second-chance points. Green was 3-for-4 at the free-throw line in the final 1:11 of regulation, getting CNU the edge that Hicks erased with the long trey. 

CNU scored eight of their ten points in overtime from the free-throw line and finished the game shooting 78.1% from the charity stripe (25-32). The Captains had 14 steals as they forced 20 York turnovers, including the two pivotal mistakes in the overtime period. 

Hicks and Haley finished with a game-high 21 points for the Spartans, while Perry added a team-high 21 for the Captains. She finished just one rebound shy of a double-double, while Green and Mitchell each collected double-doubles of their own. Mitchell had 17 points and ten rebounds, to go with five steals, and Green posted 15 points and 15 rebounds in 28 minutes of action. 

The Captains are back in action on Monday, February 3, as they take on Southern Virginia University at home, with tip set for 4:30 pm.