Box Score in HTML FormatNEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- In stark contrast to their season-opening win in which the Captains' starters combined for 66 of 79 total points, the Christopher Newport women's basketball team leaned heavily on the reserves in a game two win over Bridgewater, as 15 different Captains scored in an 86-49 win. CNU improved to 2-0 with the dominant victory, dropping Bridgewater to 1-2 on the season as the Captains bench scored 52 points in front of 268 fans in the Freeman Center Wednesday night.
While the entire group of reserves factored into the game significantly, it was sophomore guard
Anitra Thomas that sparked a big run in the first half. The second-year player rushed past her career-high and then some, pouring in 16 first-half points en route to a 42-19 lead for the Captains. She scored five points in the latter stages of the first quarter, as CNU took a 19-12 edge into the first break, but then caught fire from long range in the second frame.
She knocked down her second trey of the game with 7:28 left in the first half, and then buried back-to-back triples just two minutes later to give CNU an 18-point edge, 34-16. After a
Makenzie Fancher jumper from just inside the free-throw line, it was back to Thomas as she raced out on the break after a blocked shot and finished to make it 38-16. The fast-break bucket gave her 16 points, surpassing her previous career high of 11 set at Penn State Harrisburg last season.
The lead would grow to as many as 24 in the first half, as rookie
Ellen Nye knocked down an easy layup after Fancher knifed through the lane to draw the defense. After a three-pointer by Bridgewater,
Makeda Wright finished the half with a layup for the final first-half margin of 42-19.
With several starters stuck in foul trouble for the bulk of the second quarter, head coach
Bill Broderick leaned on his reserves to the tune of 17 second quarter points. With new life in the second half, the starters made their presence felt early in the third quarter as the Captains pulled away for good.
Devon Byrd was at the forefront of a strong third quarter by the first five, scoring seven of her nine points in the second half. She also stuffed the stat sheet with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals, helping lead the Captains on both ends of the floor.
Jalynn Ponzo joined Thomas in double figures by finishing the game with 11 points, while Fancher had another stellar game facilitating the offense, dishing seven assists with zero turnovers.
Checking in just before the fourth quarter,
Brooke Basinger made the most of her collegiate debut by finishing with eight points, including a pair of three-pointers. For the second straight game, freshman
Jessica Daguilh had a strong performance on the glass, hauling in six rebounds in just 11 minutes of action, while she also chipped into an impressive team defensive performance.
As a group, the Captains blocked ten shots, the most in a game in the four-year tenure of head coach
Bill Broderick and the highest single game output since swatting 12 against Mary Baldwin in November of 2011. Nye and Daguilh led the way, as the front-court freshmen combined for five with three and two, respectively. The Captains also got blocks from
Bailey Dufrene,
Jasmine Bonivel,
Tyler Robin,
Savannah Melvin and senior
Madison Bloxom. The defense was also stout with the ball on the ground, as CNU picked up 16 steals in the game, led by four from sophomore
Sam Porter.
Bridgewater was led by Cassidy Burkholder, who was just shy of a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Sydney Carey added seven rebounds off the bench.
Christopher Newport shot 42.4% as a team, knocking down 28-of-66 shots from the floor, including a 12-for-27 effort from beyond the arc. The defense held Bridgewater to 31% shooting (18-58) and just 11.8% from deep (2-17).
The Captains will hit the road for the first time in 2015-16, as the team heads to North Carolina Wesleyan College for the Jean Edge Classic this weekend. CNU will first face Ferrum College (1-1) on Saturday, November 21 at 4:00 pm, before taking on the host Battling Bishops (1-0) on Sunday, November 22 at 4:00 pm
