LYNCHBURG, VA – Christopher Newport's women's basketball squad trailed by as many as 20 in the second half and came all the way back to defeat Lynchburg, 88-83, in the Captains season opener Friday night.
Chelsie Schweers picked up from where she left off last season. The sophomore guard from Chesapeake, VA scored 24 of her game-high 35 points in the second half to lead the comeback.
CNU trailed 50-34 at the half and Lynchburg extended its lead to 20, 65-45, with 12:05 left in the game.
Over the next nine minutes, the Captains out-scored the Hornets 30-10, to take the lead, 75-74, with 3:25 to play.
Jessica Moore's lay-up put Christopher Newport on top for good.
CNU led by as many as six in the final minute and Lynchburg cut the lead to as few as two, but could not get any closer.
The Captains struggled in the first half, shooting just 34% while the Hornets, who already played twice heading into tonight's contest, came out firing, hitting 58% of their shots.
The second half was completely different, as Christopher Newport's defense stepped up and forced 12 turnovers while limiting Lynchburg to just nine field goals.
For the game, LC shot 28-of-56 (50%) from the floor, 3-of-9 (33%) from behind the arc and 24-of-30 (80%) from the line. CNU finished 32-of-75 (43%) from the field, 7-of-17 (41%) from long range and 17-of-27 (63%) from the line.
Brittany Dahn led the Hornets with 26 points, seven rebounds and five steals. Kylie Lucas added 18 points and seven boards while Kristina Darby had 15 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals.
Schweers tied her career-high with 35 points. She finished 11-of-20 from the floor, including 6-of-12 from behind the arc. She also had eight rebounds and a career-best seven steals.
Kimmy Hopkins, a freshman from Gainesville, VA, finished with 16 points. Moore added 11 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.
The Captains are now 1-0 on the year while Lynchburg falls to 1-2. CNU returns to action Tuesday for its home opener against St. Mary's (MD) at 7 pm.
