FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- Facing a seven-point deficit with less than five minutes to go, the fifth-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team locked in defensively and scored the final 12 points to come from behind on the road and defeat Mary Washington by a final score of 60-55. The Captains improved to 22-1 overall and picked up the program's 40th straight road win in thrilling fashion, adding to its Division III record for consecutive wins as the visiting team. 

The matchup against the Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference rivals would prove one of the most challenging games of the season for the nationally-ranked Captains. Coming into the game, CNU trailed by more than six points in a game less than one percent of the season, but the Eagles would become the fifth opponent this year to lead by at least three possessions when they took an eight-point edge in the second half. CNU erased the lead early in the fourth, but an 8-0 run by the Eagles gave the home team another 7-point edge with 4:29 remaining. From that point, though, it was all Captains. 

Ashley Martin hit a jumper with 4:29 left to give the Eagles a 55-48 lead that forced head coach Bill Broderick to call a timeout. Out of the media timeout, Camille Malagar started the fateful 12-0 run that would secure CNU the key road win. On the next Eagles possession, Gabbi San Diego showed off the Captains suffocating defense with stellar man-to-man pressure that produced a steal and a fast-break run out for two more.

Fifth-year senior Katy Rader, who was trying to avoid her first loss against Mary Washington in the tenth career matchup against the Eagles, was next up on the CNU defense with a carbon copy steal of San Diego's theft when she got her hand up against a would-be Mary Washington passer. After Rader's steal, San Diego found Malagar for a backdoor cut to the basket and a 6-0 run had pulled CNU back within one, 55-54, within just 90 seconds. 

Hannah Kaloi showed off strong post defense on the next run down the floor, forcing a tough shot in the lane that was off the iron. Then, it was Alivia Giles contributing with a steal the next time down the floor. After the teams traded empty possessions, the clock ticked under a minute and Broderick elected to let his team play it out without calling a timeout. The veteran lineup set up a beautiful lob from Rader to Hannah Kaloi down low and the junior forward had a wide-open layup to take the lead. The go-head basket came with 53.5 seconds remaining and forced the home team into a timeout. 

Out of the timeout, the Captains had all the momentum and the defense continued to clamp down. In a crucial possession, the Eagles turned the ball over again as sophomore Hailey Kellogg poked a steal away from Megan Baxter and forced Mary Washington to foul. 

From the charity stripe, the Captains would extend the lead to three as Camille Malagar knocked down a pair, and then, after a three-point try to tie failed, the Eagles fouled once more and Kaloi went 2-for-2 from the line to ice the win, 60-55. 

CNU only reached the free-throw line 12 times in the game but, for the fourth time in program history, was perfect from the charity stripe with a 12-for-12 showing. It was the first time since 2013 that the Captains have knocked down all of their attempts from the line with at least 10 attempted in a game. 

Kaloi and Malagar each scored a team-high 15 points to lead the way while San Diego added 10 points and four assists. Giles did the most work on the glass, hauling in a game-high 13 rebounds to go with six points while Rader's two three-pointers came in key moments as she finished with eight points and one pivotal steal. 

The CNU defense held C2C scoring leader Jordan Carpenter to a season-low four points while Sydney Sherman and Keagan Schwab led the way for the Eagles with 11 and 10 points, respectively. 

Christopher Newport will travel to NCAA Division II Barton College for an exhibition game on Sunday, February 11 before returning home for Senior Night date with Southern Virginia University on Valentine's Day, next Wednesday, February 14.