ASHLAND, Va. – A well-rounded performance in the first round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament earned the 18^th-ranked Christopher Newport Captains a comfortable 63-50 win over Haverford College (21-7) on Saturday evening in Ashland, Virginia. The Captains improve to 24-4 overall, advance to the NCAA Second Round and will take on either host Randolph-Macon College or upset-minded University of Valley Forge. 
 
CNU had three players finish in double figures led by sophomores Micah Maloney and Kiana Kirkland with 12 points apiece. Senior Anitra Thomas added 11 points off the bench.
 
The game tipped off 30 minutes later than expected due to a power outage in the area. Heavy winds created power outages across the state Friday, but the lights returned to Crenshaw Gymnasium and the teams took the floor at 5:30 pm.
 
After weathering an initial burst by Haverford, the Captains turned to outside shooting to flip the script in the first quarter. The Fords opened on a 7-2 run, holding CNU to just one basket in the first 5:17 heading into the first media timeout, but CNU quickly responded with a 14-2 spurt to take control.
 
A three-pointer from Anitra Thomas kicked off the roll, and Micah Maloney added one from the wing to put the Captains in front, 8-7. After Jasmine Bonivel grabbed a sensational defensive rebound from the ground, she found Maloney streaking through the lane for an easy two. 
 
With the turnovers mounting against Haverford, sophomore Kiana Kirkland buried her first three from the top of the key and senior Makenzie Fancher drilled a trey to cap the run. Fancher's triple extended her career-best streak of games with a made three-pointer to 17 games.
 
After enduring some early foul trouble and cold shooting – the Captains started 1-for-9 from the field – the team finished strong in the first quarter, knocking down six of their last eight shots. That run included four three-pointers as CNU build an 18-11 lead after the first quarter.
 
The Captains defense showed its mettle in the second quarter as it nearly held Haverford without a made basket in the stanza. Sierra Berkel connected on a layup with 4.6 seconds remaining in the half, but the CNU defense held the Fords to just 1-of-12 shooting for 8.3%.
 
One of the highlights in the quarter came when, after a turnover in the paint, CNU junior Zhara Tannor caught Haverford napping and ripped the ball right back. After being knocked to the floor, she somehow squirted a pass out to Jasmine Bonivel, who connected with Thomas, wide open in the corner for her second three of the half. That bucket gave CNU a 28-12 lead and the Captains would carry the 16-point edge into the break, 33-17. 
 
Haverford shot just 19% against the tough Captains defense, marking the fifth time this season the Captains have held a team to under 20% shooting in a half. Meanwhile, CNU shot 41.9% (13-31) including a red-hot 54.5% (6-11) from beyond the arc.
 
A slow start to the second half allowed the Fords to cut the lead back to eight (40-32) on back-to-back free-throw trips with about three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Fancher drove to the basket with two minutes remaining to get to the line herself and knocked down both to extend back to a double digit lead. From there, CNU coasted through the remainder of the game, keeping Haverford at arm's length.
 
The Captains went 11-for-14 from the free-throw line in the third quarter, including six straight after the Fords had cut the lead to single digits. The Captains led, 46-34, heading into the final frame. In the fourth quarter, Christopher Newport extended the lead to as many as 20, on a three-pointer by Thomas with 2:18 remaining (61-41). A flurry of three-pointers at the end of the game cut the lead, but the game was well enough in hand as CNU rounded out a 63-50 victory.
 
Five different CNU players knocked down at least one three-pointer in the game, including a 3-for-3 performance from deep by Thomas. The strength of CNU's offense all season, it's depth, was on display again as the Captains scored over 60 points with 11 different players getting into the scoring column. Leading scorer Sam Porter was held to just 2 points in eight minutes because of foul trouble, but the senior managed three rebounds and a pair of steals as well. CNU grabbed 17 thefts, with three from Jasmine Bonivel to lead the charge. 

The Captains will return to action on Saturday with live stats and video available.