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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Five players in double figures, including two freshmen, led the Captains to their second win of the season Sunday afternoon, as CNU held off the Newport News Apprentice School, 88-86. Both teams run their overall records this fall to 2-2 as the Captains become the first time to defeat the Builders in their new facility. 

Rookie Jalynn Ponzo led all Captains with 16 points on a 6-for-10 shooting performance, while adding six rebounds. Sophomore Lauren Cox added 15 while Kendra Stone and freshman Devon Byrd added 12 points apiece. Rounding out the five double-figure scorers for CNU was senior forward Camry Green, with 10 points en route to her fourth double-double to start the season.

Green hauled in 14 rebounds to add to her 10 point performance. It marks the second time in her career that Green has posted four straight double-doubles and is also her eighth in the last nine games. 

The home team, celebrating it's 20th Anniversary with a special halftime ceremony, came out with energy and momentum to take a game-high five-point edge in the early minutes. Kenya Wilkerson and Shane Hilliard hit their first two attempts to take a 5-0 lead, and Wilkerson added a fast-break layup just two minutes into the game to pull ahead 7-2. 

After Ylexis Traeger knocked down a jumper in the lane to make it 9-4, the Captains ran off a small 6-2 run to get back within one, 11-10. CNU grabbed the momentum and took the lead on a jumper by Kendra Stone, 14-13, with 15:22 remaining, and would not trail again. The Builders tied the game at 18 on a three-pointer by Hilliard, but another 8-0 run in the middle of the half saw CNU take a 26-18 lead. 

Again the Builders closed to within a pair, 26-24, with 10 minutes remaining in the first half, but CNU bounced back again and kept Apprentice an arms length away.  Headed into halftime, CNU held a 49-39 advantage on the scoreboard, doubling up the Builders in the paint, 28-14. 

Early in the second half, the lead would build to a game-high 13 points after a made free-throw by Ponzo with 17:45 remaining. Apprentice pieced together an 11-2 roll of their own to get things back to a one-possession game, 56-54, as Wilkerson and Hilliard had back-to-back steals and fast-break layups. 

After trading baskets for several minutes, the Builders would complete the comeback  with just under seven minutes remaining. Courtney White hit a pair of free-throws to tie the game at 71. On the next CNU possession, though, Ponzo grabbed her own rebound and the Captains found Green underneath for the go-ahead bucket.  Another offensive board by Ponzo and putback with less than five minutes to go gave CNU a 75-71 edge. 

As the minutes ticked off the clock, CNU managed to keep the edge at a two- and even three-possession lead with less than a minute to go. Cox hit a jumper and then knocked down three of four free-throws to give CNU an 88-81 edge with 51 seconds remaining.

The Apprentice School continued to battle down to the final shot, though, as Wilkerson hit a layup with 43 seconds left and white knocked down a three-pointer to get back within a pair with 14 seconds remaining. The Builders got one more chance with 1.7 seconds remaining, but could not knock down the three-quarter court heave and CNU held on for the win.

As a team, CNU shot 50% from the field on 31-of-62 shooting, and out-rebounded the Builders 48-34. Byrd had a strong performance off the bench, knocking down five of six attempts from the field while also chipping in two free throws and five rebounds. 

Wilkerson led all scorers with 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting while the Builders had four players in double figures. Hilliard had 14, Neighbors 13 and Traeger 11 to round out the top performances for the home team. 

The Apprentice School began play in the new Apprentice Athletic Center earlier this year, in January, and Sunday's game was the seventh for the women's team on the home floor. CNU snapped the Builders six-game streak to open the facility. 

Christopher Newport wrapped up a four-game road trip to open the season and will now open their home slate on Tuesday, November 25 at 6:00 pm against North Carolina Wesleyan (2-1).