NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The top-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team extended it's winning streak to 27 games on Friday night, capturing an 89-52 win over Brooklyn College (19-8) in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Division III Championship. A balanced effort highlighted the win as all but one CNU player got into the scoring column and all but one played 11 or more minutes in the first round victory.

"I thought we really came out and set the tone. I thought we came out with some really good energy," said head coach Bill Broderick. 

The Captains raced out to a 9-2 lead with three points each from Sondra Fan, Anaya Simmons, and Gabbi San Diego. The opening spurt helped Christopher Newport take the lead early and the home team would never relinquish the advantage, picking up the team's 15th wire-to-wire win of the season. CNU took a 12-point lead after the opening quarter, 27-15, and added four to that advantage by the end of the half with a 48-32 lead heading into the locker room. 

Anaya Simmons was the first half leader for the Captains, connecting on all five of her shots in the game to score 11 points. She raised her nationwide-leading field-goal percentage to 68.5 percent on the season which ranks as the 10th-best single season in NCAA Division III history. Simmons also vaulted up to seventh in the NCAA Record Books with a 63.3 percent shooting percentage over the course of her career. 

In the second half, the Captains were matched through the majority of the third quarter, but pulled away from the Bulldogs with a dominant final stanza. CNU outscored the visitors, 23-5, in the last ten minutes of action while being powered primarily by freshman Ashley Steadman. The rookie went 5-of-6 from the floor in the last quarter including a late triple to give her 11 points in the period and a team-high 13 points in the game. Faith Henderson added two points, three rebounds, and three assists in the fourth quarter while classmate McKenna Snively added four points and a pair of rebounds. 

CNU got contributions up and down the roster as all 15 eligible players factored into the big win. Gabbi San Diego scored eight points and dished a team-high four assists in just 17 minutes of action while Hannah Kaloi added four helpers with five points and four rebounds for the starting unit as well. Alivia Giles had a terrific outing for the reserves, scoring nine points and hauling in nine rebounds in just 16 minutes on the floor. 

In addition to the 27-game winning streak, the Captains added to several other win streaks as well. CNU has now won 39 consecutive games in the Freeman Center and improved 8-0 all-time in NCAA Tournament games at home. The Captains have won a game in 11 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances including each of the last seven straight. 

The Captains will now face Elizabethtown College in the NCAA Round of 32 on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. The Blue Jays captured a 79-68 win over Stevens in the opening round and improved to 23-4. Saturday night's bout will be the first matchup between the two programs in almost exactly 41 years when the Blue Jays defeated Christopher Newport in the program's very first NCAA Tournament appearance. Live stats and a live video webcast will be available at CNUsports.com.