NEWPORT NEWS — With another suffocating defensive performance, the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women’s basketball team improved to 23-1 overall after polishing off a 16th straight win on Saturday afternoon. The Captains dropped Mary Washington, 65-44, on the road and were led by fifth-year seniors Gabbi San Diego (13 pts) and Camille Malagar (12 pts) in the game.
Defensively, CNU forced 19 turnovers and held the home team to just 20 points in the final 30 minutes of action including two single-digit quarters in the middle periods. In the second quarter, the Captains pulled away by holding Mary Washington to just 1-of-10 shooting including an 0-for-5 effort from behind the line. Meanwhile, the Captains got to the line and outscored the Eagles by ten and carried a 35-24 advantage into the break.
The drought continued for Mary Washington into the third quarter, hitting just one of their first five attempts as CNU built a 40-26 lead. Hannah Kaloi drained a pair of free-throws before Malagar scored seven straight points for the Captains to extend the lead even further. She buried a three-pointer with 3:07 left in the third quarter and then dropped in a mid-range jumper from the left side two possessions later. She wrapped up her burst with two free throws and Sydney Sherman closed out the quarter with a buzzer-beating layup to give CNU an 18-point lead, 51-33.
Starting the fourth quarter, junior Hailey Kellogg scored five straight with a jumper and a three-pointer as CNU continued to pull away. Kaloi added a layup and San Diego finished in the paint as Christopher Newport captured a game-high 25-point lead, 60-35, with 5:07 left.
The Captains won the battle on the boards behind a career-high-tying 11 rebounds from Sydney Sherman. Playing against her former team after transferring to CNU for her graduate season, Sherman hauled in 11 boards in 19 minutes of work including five on the offensive end. Senior Alexia Lindsey hauled in six rebounds and added a steal for CNU while Kellogg and Emma O’Connor each grabbed five caroms.
McKenna Snively and Malagar led the Captains from long range with a pair of three-pointers each. Mia Wilson, Kellogg, San Diego, and Caitlin Crump all connected from deep in the game. Snively’s first triple triggered the start of a first-quarter comeback for CNU and she added a second moments later to cut the lead again. Wilson, Crump, and San Diego all hit triples as the Captains erased a 10-point deficit in the opening frame.
Mary Washington jumped out to a 14-4 lead, becoming just the third team to lead by double digits against the Captains this season (Johns Hopkins +18, SVU +11). CNU scored 17 of the next 22 point to take a two-point lead, 21-19, and would never trail again.
Christopher Newport will return to action for the regular season finale this Thursday, February 20 at Salisbury University. The game will be played at the Maggs Physical Activities Center with tip scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
