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ARLINGTON, Va. -- Christopher Newport University was forced to settle for the number two seed in next week's Capital Athletic Conference Tournament after suffering a 74-60 setback in the regular season finale Saturday, at Marymount (16-9, 11-5). The Captains will have a first-round bye and advance to play the winner of the 3-6 matchup between third-seeded Salisbury and sixth-seeded St. Mary's College (Md.), with a home game on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7:00 pm. 

Despite matching the Saints in scoring in the second half, CNU could not overcome a 60% shooting night by the home team and wrapped up the regular season with a 21-4 mark, including a 13-3 record in league play. Marymount knocked down 27-of-45 shots and had 21 assists on 27 made baskets. 

CNU led by as many as six early in the first half, when senior Nicole Mitchell had the Captains off to a hot start. The forward had five of CNU's first eight points to take a quick 8-2 lead over the Saints, but Marymount responded to take the lead with a 9-0 spurt of their own.

After a steal by Mitchell, junior Camry Green pulled down an offensive rebound and nailed the stick-back to get CNU back in front, 14-13, with 10:50 to go. That would be the last lead for the Captains, though, as Marymount started finding open shots. Over the next four minutes and twenty seconds, the home team ran off a 13-0 run to take a 12-point lead with 6:34 left in the first half. 

Turnover woes plagued the Captains in the first half, as Marymount scored 19 points off of giveaways, while CNU turned 11 Saint turnovers into just three points. At halftime, Marymount held a 14-point edge, 40-26. Senior All-American Katelyn Fischer already had dished out ten assists in the game, while Miranda Krott was perfect from the field with a game-high 13 points in the fopening stanza. 

On the CNU end, the Captains were hitting 50% from inside the arc, but a 1-for-10 effort from beyond dropped the shooting percentage to 35.7% (10-28) from the field. Mitchell had 11 points at the break, and Green five, while five other CNU players had added two points apiece.

While the intensity picked up in the second half, Marymount held off a run by CNU and added to their lead halfway through the frame. With 10:24 to go, the lead was a game-high 22 points, 56-34, after a pair of free-throws by Fischer. Out of that stoppage, sophomore Brandi Holland looked to breathe some life into the Captains by hitting back-to-back three pointers. Marymount withstood the rally, and built the lead back up to 19 on a pair of occasions, and to 18 five times down the stretch, trading baskets with the Captains. 

In the final minutes, Green scored on another put-back, and Lauren Cox added a three-pointer for the final score of 74-60, matching the halftime deficit. 

In the game, CNU took 15 more shots from the field, but managed to knock down three fewer shots, creating a big disparity from the field. The Captains shot 40% (24-60) to the Saints' 60% (27-45). A tough night from long distance (5-21) was a big hurdle for the CNU offense. 

Fischer finished with a double-double, scoring 14 points and added 13 assists. Krott had a team-high 17 points for Marymount. 

CNU was led by 18-point performances from Green and Mitchell. Holland also finished in double figures with 11, adding six assists off the bench, while senior Andrea Hobbs grabbed five steals. 

The Captains will return to action on Thursday, Feb. 27 as they host one of the CAC Tournament Semifinal matchups in the Freeman Center. Third-seeded Salisbury will host sixth-seeded St. Mary's (Md.) on Tuesday night, with the winner advancing to play CNU on Thursday. Live stats and video will be available at CNUsports.com.