FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Christopher Newport senior Sam Porter became just the fourth player, men's or women's, in CNU basketball history to eclipse 300 steals for her career when she grabbed five against Mary Washington on Wednesday night, leading a suffocating defensive effort in a runaway victory on the road, 80-53. Porter also scored a team-high 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting in her first start since a hand injury forced her to miss eight games in January. 

The nationally-ranked Captains won their 11th straight game, improving to 22-2 overall and 16-1 in Capital Athletic Conference action. The Eagles fall to 13-11, 12-5 after the loss with just one game remaining on the regular season schedule. CNU remains locked in a tie for first place with Marymount University, who will travel to Mary Washington on Saturday for the finale while the Captains host York (Pa.) at 6:00 pm in the Freeman Center. 

Porter's five steals give her 303 for her career, joining Karen Barefoot and Leema Madden as the only CNU women's basketball players to eclipse 300 for her career. Steve Artis is the lone CNU men's player to reach 300, as Porter joins an exclusive list of only four former Captains to make the mark. She is also only the fifth player in Capital Athletic Conference history to reach 300, joining Salisbury's Amy Campion, York's Aja Wallpher, Marymount's Sharee McClellan and Chrissie Washington.

On Valentine's Day in Fredericksburg in front of nearly 900 fans, the Captains quickly delivered a shot to the heart with a 15-0 run to start the game. CNU held Mary Washington without a field goal attempt for the first three minutes of action while forcing five turnovers right out of the gate. The Eagles were held off the scoreboard for over five minutes of action before Emily Miller stopped the spurt with a mid-range jumper from the baseline. In the opening roll, Porter dominated with 10 points, 3 steals, an an offensive rebound to get the Captains out in front. 

The CNU pressure continued to cause issues throughout the first half as Mary Washington committed 19 turnovers as CNU built a 20-point lead at the break, 41-21. Makenzie Fancher hit a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter and Kiana Kirkland added two more in the second quarter as the Captains also got production from outside to pair with Porter's dominant start. 

In the third quarter, the Captains got to the free-throw line and put together an exceptional performance going 13-of-14. Sophomore Micah Maloney and senior Makeda Wright were each 4-for-4 while Porter and Bailey Dufrene each converted on both of their attempts from the charity stripe. CNU also knocked down five field goals in the third, including two three-pointers from Zhara Tannor and Anitra Thomas. 

In the fourth, Mary Washington turned to senior scoring leader Kendall Parker to limit the damage as she led a 7-for-10 shooting effort in the final ten minutes with a pair of three-pointers. Porter continued her strong night into the final quarter by going 2-for-3 including her first three-pointer of the season. The senior forward finished with 17 points after knocking down just her fifth career triple. 

The CNU defense never slowed, forcing 40 Mary Washington turnovers while grabbing 19 steals. Porter's five led the way while Tannor added four and Dufrene had three. Dufrene also worked hard off the box score, earning numerous deflections to stymie the Eagles' offensive sets. Tannor was the only other Captain in double figures, adding 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. 

Rookie Tory Martin had a game-high 18 points for the Eagles and Parker finished with 16. Parker knocked down four three-pointers in the loss. 

CNU, who already clinched a first-round bye in next week's CAC Tournament, will play for the regular season championship on Saturday against York (Pa.). With a win, the Captains would earn at least a share of the CAC title. Tip for senior night against the Spartans is scheduled for 6:00 pm. Live stats and video will be available at CNUsports.com/live.