NEWPORT NEWS, VA – Christopher Newport's women's basketball team led by as many as 10 in the second half but could not hold off a late surge by Greensboro as the Pride went on to capture the USA South Championship, 83-80, Saturday afternoon at the Freeman Center.
CNU led 42-32 with 18:29 left in the game but saw Greensboro roar back to take its first lead of the second half, 61-60 with 7:52 left in the game.
The Captains countered by going on a 17-11 run to take a five point lead with 3:32 left in the game. The Pride responded by scoring five straight to regain the lead, 80-77 with 1:34 left.
Two free throws by Jessica Moore tied the score for the seventh time with 1:02 to play. Greensboro's Dione Eccles was fouled with 30 seconds left and hit both free throws to give her team the lead by two.
Moore had a golden opportunity to tie the score with 12 seconds to go but her lay-up was too strong and the Pride grabbed the rebound and Katie Freeman was fouled. She made one of two free throws with nine ticks left. CNU quickly got the ball up court but Chelsie Schweers three-point attempt was no good.
Christopher Newport led by as many as 18 in the first half, 32-14, with 8:02 left. The Pride hung in there and whittled the lead all the way down to as few as six and trailed by eight, 38-30, at the half.
For the game, GC shot 28-of-71 (39%) from the field, 5-of-16 (31%) from behind the arc and 22-of-28 (79%) from the free throw line. Danielle Duncan led the Pride with 28 points and nine rebounds. Eccles finished with 19 points and 11 boards and Nikki Wilborn had 17 points.
The Captains shot 34-of-63 (54%) from the floor, 4-of-12 (33%) from long range and just 8-of-15 (53%) from the charity stripe. Colandra Rollins paced CNU with 22 points on 11-of-13 shooting. She also had 13 rebounds and a career-high 7 assists. Schweers finished with 18 points and nine assists.
Eccles was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. She was joined on the All-Tournament team by Duncan and Wilborn, CNU's Rollins and Schweers and Ferrum's Ali Davenport.
Greensboro will head to the NCAA Tournament with an over record of 21-7. CNU falls to 21-7 and will wait to see if they will receive an at-large bid. The teams are announced Sunday night and the bracket is released Monday morning.
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