NEWPORT NEWS, VA – The Christopher Newport University Captains women's basketball team used a huge first quarter to earn a 76-56 Capital Athletic Conference win over visiting York College on Saturday afternoon in Newport News, Virginia.
The Spartans fall to 12-3 overall and fall into a second place tie in the league at 6-2. The Captains are now 13-2 overall and are now tied with York and Mary Washington at 6-2. The three teams trail first place Marymount by one game. The Saints dropped their first CAC game of the year as Mary Washington downed Marymount 62-49 in Arlington on Saturday.
The Captains started the game on a 10-2 run over the first four minutes of the opening quarter as the Green and White could not find the bottom of the net. Brianna Bisci (Bangor, Pa./Bangor) hit a three to halt the run but the Captains answered with a 9-3 run to push the lead to 11 with 1:23 left in the quarter. Morgan Golec (Abingdon, Md./Patterson Mill) hit a lay up with 1:06 left but the Captains scored seven points in the final 52 seconds of the quarter to push out to a 26-10 lead.
The Captains began the second quarter with a three pointer to push the lead to 19 but York would chip away, getting their deficit to nine twice but the Captains would head to the locker room with a 37-25 lead.
The Spartans made some inroads in the third quarter cutting the Captain lead to eight at 46-38 on a pair of Sam Hruz (White Marsh, Md./Mercy) free throws with 1:13 left in the quarter. However, Anitra Thomas drained a three and then Thomas scored on an inbounds play with just 1.1 seconds left to push the Captains lead to 51-38 at the end of three. That would be as close as the Spartans would get as the Captains outscored York 25-18 in the final ten minutes of play to provide for the final 20-point margin of victory.
Thomas led the Captains as she poured in 23 points on 9-for-16 shooting from the floor including 4-for-11 from three. Thomas also dished out four assists for CNU. Devon Byrd recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds while she also had six steals and four assists. Sam Porter added 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals for the Captains. Bailey Dufrene pulled in 10 rebounds in addition to three points and two steals in her 35 minutes of action.
The Captains shot 40.3% from the floor but dialed up 11 three pointers in the win. The Captains went 11-for-16 (68.8%) from the stripe.
York was led by Katie Wagner (Glen Rock, Pa./Susquehannock) as she tallied 14 points in her 26 minutes of work. Wagner was 4-for-7 from the floor including a career-high three three-point field goals while she was also 3-for-3 from the free throw line. Hruz added ten points, nine rebounds, six blocked shots, and three steals in her 35 minutes of play. The six blocks ties her own Freeman Center facility record, a mark she established last season. Junior Sarah Shearer (York, Pa./West York) came off the bench to add 11 points, five rebounds and three steals.
York shot just 34% for the game including 4-for-18 (22.2%) from three. York converted 80% (16-for-20) from the stripe.
The Captains dominated the Spartans on the glass as they held a 47-33 margin in rebounding. CNU registered 20 offensive rebounds which led to 19 second chance points for the Captains. York committed 22 turnovers which led to 20 CNU points.
The Spartans return home on Wednesday, January 20 when they host Frostburg State University in a Capital Athletic Conference contest. Game time at Charles Wolf Gymnasium is set for 6:00 pm.