NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Both teams put up matching scores in the first- and second-quarters before a pair of lopsided stanzas in the second half wound up deciding game two of the 2018-19 season for Stevenson University and the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport Captains. The halftime score was knotted at 30 before the Mustangs (0-2) opened up a 13-point lead in the third quarter, followed by a frenetic rally by the Captains (2-0) in the fourth, to pull out a two-point win at home, 66-64. 

Senior Zhara Tannor led an exceptional defensive effort in the final frame that saw the Captains secure nine steals and force 12 turnovers in the 10-minute period. Tannor registered five steals, including three in the first 34 seconds of the period as the Captains cut the Stevenson lead in the half. Off the whistle, Tannor stole the inbounds and was fouled on the way to the basket; she then converted both free throws and earned a steal on the very next inbounds pass. CNU missed a pair of layups, but the third offensive rebound in the series found senior Madison Howdyshell for a put-back. Finally, after a timeout, Tannor picked up another steal -- this time in the Mustangs front court -- and found junior Kiana Kirkland on the run for a bucket and the foul, earning the traditional three-point play. 

In the matter of just three quick possessions over less than a minute of play in the fourth, CNU had turned a 13-point deficit into a two-possession game. From there, Stevenson held off the Captains until there was less than five minutes to go, when CNU put together a 16-2 run to change the game. Rookie Natalie Terwilliger buried a triple to start the roll, and Tannor punctuated the burst with two more steals, back-to-back with less than a minute and a half to go. Tannor knocked down an easy layup on the break and then another couple free-throws to give CNU a 63-58 lead with less just 58 seconds showing on the clock. 

The Mustangs would not go quietly, hitting a pair of free throws and tying the game on a three-pointer by Hannah Crist with just 17 seconds left. CNU answered to re-take the lead on a layup by Howdyshell off a feed from Tannor, and the teams traded 1-for-2 trips to the line for the final score, 66-64. The Captains picked up 14 of their 27 fourth quarter points off of turnovers.

The intense second half saw Stevenson outscore the Captains in the third quarter, 22-9, breaking out a 52-39 lead headed into the final stanza. CNU turned the ball over nine times in the frame, as the Mustangs defense earned nine steals. Denia Campbell led the effort with three while scoring seven points. Campbell tied for the Stevenson lead in scoring with 18 points, while Jonyae Curry also added 18 points and 10 rebounds. Olivia Coleman notched a game-high 12 rebounds and six blocks for the Mustangs as well. 

On the other end, the home team protected the Freeman Center floor for the 210th time in 247 all-time games at home and extend a 13-game winning streak against non-conference opponents at home dating back to the 2014-15 season. The win also marked the 150th career victory at CNU for head coach Bill Broderick, who improved to 150-31 in his first six-plus seasons on the Captains' sideline, for a winning percentage of 83%. He is the third coach in CNU Women's Basketball history to win 150 games joining Cathy Parson (183-83) and Carolyn Hunter (235-100). 

Kirkland led all scorers in the game with a 20-point performance to match her career-high set last season against Southern Virginia. She finished 8-for-18 from the floor with a pair of three-pointers, four rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Rookie Natalie Terwilliger also registered her first career double-double, scoring 12 points and adding 10 rebounds with 3 blocked shots and a steal

Facing what was potentially just the sixth home loss of their careers, the senior class stepped up late in the game and rallied the Captains to victory. Jessica Daguilh finished just two points shy of a double-double with 8 points and 10 rebounds while adding a pair of blocks and a steal. Zhara Tannor was the leader during the suffocating defensive pressure late in the game and led the team in steals with 7 while pouring in 9 points. Rounding out the senior trio, Madison Howdyshell scored all four of her points during the comeback, including the game-clinching layup with less than 10 seconds left to play. She also grabbed five rebounds and added an assist and steal. 

The Captains will hit the road to play Mount Aloysius and the City College of New York (CCNY) this weekend on a neutral court in Frostburg, Md. CNU will be playing in the Jim Crawley Classic hosted by Frostburg State University, with tip against Mount Aloysius scheduled for 6:00 pm this Saturday, November 17.