AMHERST, Mass. –  The top-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team fell to No. 10/13 Trinity (Texas), 76-71, as the Captains' sensational season and 43-game winning streak ended during the team's road to a potential title. CNU concludes the season 26-1 with the neutral site loss on the campus of No. 8/9 Amherst College in LeFrak Gymnasium.
 
Senior guard Sondra Fan finished with 25 points, just two shy of her career-high, on 9-of-21 shooting. She knocked down five triples to lead the offense for the Captains while junior Anaya Simmons added 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Simmons just missed a double-double with nine rebounds and added a pair of blocked shots.
 
"This doesn't take away from what this group has done, you know, starting 26 and 0. I'm just really, really proud of these seniors," said head coach Bill Broderick. "I'm really thankful to these guys. It didn't go our way and we had a lot to overcome – it kind of is what it is, but I'm still really, really proud of these guys. I thought our crowd did a great job, having to travel again this weekend; we're just really appreciative of the support."
 
Christopher Newport won the last three quarters but could not climb out of a 16-point first-half deficit despite clawing all the way back to within two, 63-61, early in the fourth quarter. It was the first time this season the top-ranked Captains trailed by double-digits in a game after Trinity won the opening period, 25-14.
 
CNU would go on to outscore the Tigers, 57-51 while holding Trinity to just 32.2 percent (10-31) in the second half, but the SCAC Champions did just enough to hold off the Captains comeback bid.
 
The first No. 1-ranked team since 2008 to go on the road for each of the first three rounds of the tournament struggled from the field in the opening quarter while their opponents were red-hot. CNU shot 31.6 percent (6-19) while Trinity knocked down 11 of their firs 18 attempts for a 61.1 percent run from the field. The hot shooting for the Tigers continued through halftime, as they sank 20 of their 30 total field goals in the first half while shooting 58.8 percent.
 
Facing a 12-point deficit at the half, the Captains got back to what got them there and turned up the heat defensively. Julia Ng snagged a steal that led to a three-pointer by Gabbi San Diego as CNU started to mount it's comeback. Out of a timeout, head coach Bill Broderick called on Julia Hobbs and Alivia Giles in the post and the maneuver sparked the Captains on both ends. In her first possession, Hobbs tickled the twine with a nice finish at the basket. She then grabbed a rebound on the defensive end and ripped an offensive board on the other end.
 
Momentum started to shift late in the third quarter when Ng layed one in and Sondra Fan buried a triple to cut the lead to ten, 60-50. She added another moments later and Phylicia McInnis calmly sank two free-throws at the end of the period to pull CNU back within single digits, 63-55.
 
Those five points, paired with an inspiring 6-0 start to the fourth quarter got the Captains back within two, 63-61. It was a thrilling spurt that saw Natalie Terwilliger block a shot that led to two from Fan, followed by another block by Anaya Simmons on the next possession. Simmons then ripped a steal at the top of the key and finished the runout to ignite the Captains' fans at LeFrak.
 
The Captains defense had held Trinity scoreless through the first four and a half minutes of the fourth quarter, but could not convert on the game-tying bucket before Trinity found their footing. The Tigers extended the lead back to eight with a 6-0 run that made it 69-61 with 3:30 remaining.
 
From there, Christopher Newport leaned on their senior leader as Sondra Fan snapped the netting with a long three-pointer with just over a minute to go to make it 70-66. After a Trinity layup, San Diego's attempt from long range was just short and Trinity cleared the rebound. Ashlyn Milton and Kelly Simmons went 3-of-4 from the line to create enough distance and Fan added her fifth three at the buzzer for the final margin, 76-71. With the win, Trinity improves to 28-2 overall and advances to the NCAA National Quarterfinals against either Amherst or Tufts. 
 
The Captains' longest winning streak and the most lengthy run in NCAA basketball came to an end in the Round of 16, where CNU appeared for the sixth straight season. The Captains are one of only three teams to reach the sectional round in each of the last six tournaments.
 
Six seniors – Sondra Fan, Jessica Foster, Julia Hobbs, Phylicia McInnis, Julia Ng, and Natalie Terwilliger -- close out their careers as one of the winningest classes in program history. Over just three seasons because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the seniors finished their ledger with a 76-11 overall mark and an .873 winning percentage. They won three straight conference titles and reached the NCAA Sweet 16 in each year of their career.
 
"It's a really special year. Obviously today didn't end up how we wanted, but a 43-game winning streak? Not many teams get to say they did that," said senior guard Jessica Foster. "I'm just so grateful for everything this program has given me the last four years. I wouldn't imagine my basketball experience anywhere else."
 
"I think it's nice, but what you don't see is what you don't see is how much work we put in, outside of practice and everything," said senior guard Phylicia McInnis. "This team, especially, this run – 26 games – it's amazing. This senior class went through so much with COVID taking away sophomore year, junior year – this season was just special."
 
The Captains are now 19-7 in NCAA Tournament play under Coach Broderick after reaching the sectional round in all eight of his team's appearances in just nine seasons at the helm at Christopher Newport.