SALISBURY, Md. -- Behind the second career double-double from sophomore Micah Maloney and a 30-point outburst in the fourth quarter against one of the top defenses in the league, the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team won their seventh straight on Wednesday night. The Captains improved to 18-2, 12-1 with a 68-52 victory at Salisbury University behind Maloney's career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds. 

The back-and-forth contest favored CNU by nine at the end of the first quarter, but Salisbury flipped the scoreboard in the second to take a two-point lead into the locker room, 25-23. After the two teams played two a draw in the third, it was the CNU defense that finally wore down the home Sea Gulls and outscored their conference rival, 30-12, in the final ten minutes of action. 

Led by Maloney, the Captains scored 42 points in the paint and notched a season-high for a Salisbury opponent in the scoring column, with 68 points. 

In the first quarter, CNU held Salisbury to just 3-of-16 shooting as they built a nine-point advantage, 15-6. Bailey Dufrene led the early scoring for CNU with five, while Maloney added four points and three rebounds. In the second, though, CNU was held to 4-of-16 from the field while the Sea Gulls shot 50% from the field (7-14). Seven Salisbury players scored in the balanced effort that saw the home team take a two-point edge headed into halftime. 

As the third quarter waned, the Sea Gulls never led by more than five, when Mary McDonagh hit a three-pointer with 2:47 left and then again with 2:31 showing when Kaylyn French knocked down a pair of free-throws. A layup from Makenzie Fancher and a nice finish by Madison Howdyshell on a fast-break run-out got CNU back within one, 38-37. A CNU free-throw and a jumper by Salisbury rounded out the scoring in the third with the home team up, 40-38. 

A quick 6-0 spurt to start the fourth quarter got the Captains back ahead for the first time since mid-way through the second, and it was a lead CNU would not relinquish. Maloney started the roll with a layup off a nice assist from Fancher, and Zhara Tannor converted a pair of free-throws to put the Captains ahead. After Salisbury matched the Captains for the next few possessions, a 10-2 burst gave CNU their first double-digit lead of the night, 56-46. Fancher capped the spurt with the team's first made three-pointer in the game. 

From that point, with just over three minutes remaining, the Captains would knock down their shots and continue to frustrate Salisbury with strong defense to coast to a 16-point win. The final bucket was a triple by Maloney that gave the sophomore a new career-high with her first career 20+ point effort. She finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for her second double-double in the last three games. The second-year post player took over the team's scoring lead with 7.9 points per game this year. 

Tannor also finished in double figures for the Captains with 14 points. The junior guard added five steals and three assists while shooting 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Howdyshell turned in a gritty performance that included two steals, two assists, and six points while shooting 2-for-3 from the field. 

The Captains remained one game back of Marymount University in the CAC standings and will host the nationally-ranked Saints on Saturday, February 3 in their next action. CNU will be looking to avenge a 77-67 loss at Marymount on January 6. The game will tip off at the Freeman Center at 2:00 pm this Saturday, with live stats and video available at CNUsports.com/live.