
GREENSBORO, N.C. — A career-high 16 points from senior Alexia Lindsey included six points in a pivotal fourth-quarter run that saw the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women’s basketball team come from behind to hold off a gritty Guilford College (11-8) squad on Wednesday evening. Lindsey helped power a 17-4 fourth quarter run that turned a late deficit into a tough road victory for the Captains, who improve to 20-1 on the season.
The win ensures a ninth consecutive 20-win season for the fifth-ranked Captains who have now won 47 of their last 48 road games. CNU has won 13 in a row overall after Lindsey headlined a trio of double-figure scorers including Camille Malagar (13) and Hannah Orloff (10).
While the Captains mounted the fourth-quarter comeback primarily from the free-throw line, the defensive effort was dynamic as CNU held the Quakers to just one made field goal in the first nine minutes of the final stanza. The home team was just 1-for-12 before the final minute of regulation when the Captains had a six-point lead and forced an obvious free throw situation. In the last sixty seconds, Guilford did convert three shots to finish the fourth quarter 4-for-16 from the field, but the slow start afforded Christopher Newport the opportunity to flip the scoreboard and pull away late.
The fourth quarter started with a basket by the home team to extend their largest lead over the Captains to seven, 59-52. On the next possession, Lindsey slashed to the basket and finished for two and triggered a run of ten straight points by the visitors to take the lead for good. Elizabeth Creed went 1-of-2 from the line to make it 59-55 and then a momentous triple came from the corner out of the hands of Malagar.
After Lindsey secured a long rebound in the middle of the floor, she raced up court but wisely pulled the ball back out to set the CNU offense in the tight game. After a kickout pass to the perimeter, the ball spun to the left wing for Hailey Kellogg. The junior point guard surveyed the scene and saw Malagar wide open in the opposite corner and her pinpoint pass through traffic set the scene for the three-pointer.
The run continued after Mia Wilson snagged a steal and Creed was fouled on the way to the basket again. This time, she converted both at the line and the Captains scooted in front by one, 60-59. Orloff would cap the 10-0 spurt with a pair of free throws and with 4:52 remaining, CNU held a 62-59 lead against Guilford.
In the final five minutes, the Captains got a tough finish from Gabbi San Diego and another free throw. Both teams struggled to find the bottom of the net over the next two minutes, but CNU got to the line once more when Lindsey was fouled with 2:02 remaining. She calmly connected on both shots and gave the Captains a six-point lead, 67-61.
From there, it was a team effort from the line as Lindsey added two more, Malagar went 2-for-2, and San Diego slotted in four straight from the charity stripe in the final minute to ice the win. In the game, the Captains were 25-for-31 (.806) at the line and nine different CNU players made at least one FT. Lindsey led the way with a 6-for-7 showing while San Diego was 5-for-5. In the fourth quarter, CNU was 16-for-19 after having zero trips to the line in the third.
Prior to the pivotal final frame, the Captains led by as many as 11 in the second half when the visitors led 50-39. The Quakers responded with a 20-2 run including 18 straight points. CNU trailed at the conclusion of the first quarter, 19-17, and took a two-point lead into the locker room, 37-35.
Lindsey is the seventh different leading scorer for the Captains over the last seven games and finished out her career-best performance with a 5-for-6 showing from the field. She added three rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Orloff finished shy of back-to-back double-doubles by just two rebounds with 10 points and eight boards. She also continued a dominant run defensively with her fourth straight game with at least four blocks. She has recorded four or more in five of the last six games and now has 50 rejections in 21 games this season.
Creed and rookie Emma O’Connor added seven more blocks between them with Creed swatting a career-best four shots and O’Connor adding three denials. The freshman was also the team’s leader in steals on Wednesday with three.
The Captains are set to return to the Freeman Center on Saturday, February 1 as they welcome Regent University for a 2:00 p.m. tip. The annual Play4Kay Pinkout game will be played at the Freeman Center as part of a doubleheader with the men’s team taking on UC Santa Cruz at 4:00 p.m. The Captains will be wearing pink jerseys to help raise awareness for breast cancer research and fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of the cause.