WBB Game Notes

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The CNU basketball teams are back in action on Saturday, January 3 as the Captains kick off the 2015 portion of the schedule with a home doubleheader against York College of Pennsylvania. The Capital Athletic Conference matchup will start at 2:00 pm, with the women's programs facing a rematch of the 2013 CAC Championship Game, followed at 4:00 pm by the men's teams.

Live stats and a live video webcast will be available of both games. The men's game will also be presented on the CNU/Pepsi Radio Network on Xtra 99.1 FM. 

Opening the doubleheader will be the Captains women, looking to shake off back-to-back setbacks with a 7-4 overall mark and 3-1 record in league play.  The Spartan women have struggled after their championship season last year, posting a 4-6 overall mark and an 0-3 start against league opponents. 

CNU leads the league in scoring, with 74.9 points per game so far this season, led by senior forward Camry Green with 13.8 points per game. Rookie Sam Porter is chipping in 10.8 points per game as the balanced Captains have showcased depth across the floor through the first half of the season. Up front, Porter and Green are joined by junior Kendra Stone (6.6 ppg), Devon Byrd (5.3 ppg), and Jalynn Ponzo (6.3 ppg). In the back court, junior Jordan Miller and rookie Bailey Dufrene, each dropping in 9.3 points per game, lead a group that includes point guards Lauren Cox and Makenzie Fancher. 

After opening the season with three wins in the first four games, though, the Spartans slipped through a five-game losing streak before snapping that stumble with an overtime win in their last time on the floor. Shea Wassel leads the way for the York women, posting four double-doubles so far this season and ranking in the top five in the league in rebounding. The team struggles from long range, but features one of the most potent shot-blocking defenses in the nation, averaging 5.9 per game. 

On the men's side, the Captains will look to make it three in a row with a win over the Spartans. CNU is 7-4 overall this season with a 3-1 start in league action. York is 3-7 overall and has started with a 2-1 mark in the CAC.

Rookie Marcus Carter has taken over as the team's scoring leader after earning MVP honors following the 2014 Crowne Plaza Captains Shootout. The freshman scored a career-high 27 points against Otterbein, and followed it up with a 16-point effort against Hood to help CNU capture the tournament title. He's now averaging 16.1 points per game with 6.4 rebounds while also leading the team in steals. Sophomore Tim Daly has returned to the lineup, and leads the team in rebounding while ranking second in scoring. 

The York men lost their first five games but have pieced together three wins in the last five games, including a 66-51 win against Southern Maine in a neutral site matchup earlier this week. Two players are in double figures for the Spartans, led by Dalton Myers' 13.5 points. Dangerous from beyond the arc, the Spartans are hitting nearly 37% of three-pointers this year, led by three players averaging over one made trey per game. Eleven different players have earned at least one start this season for head coach Matt Hunter. 

The Captains will be back in action on Saturday, January 10 as they host Penn State Harrisburg in another conference doubleheader.