Game NotesROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- This weekend, the Christopher Newport women's basketball team will hit the road for the first time in 2015-16, traveling to North Carolina Wesleyan College for a pair against USA South Athletic Conference competition in the 2015 Jean Edge Classic. The Captains (2-0) will first face Ferrum College (1-1) on Saturday, November 21 at 4:00 pm, and will return to the court on Sunday, November 22 at 4:00 pm against the host Battling Bishops of N.C. Wesleyan (1-0).
Live stats will be available for all four games in the 3rd Annual Jean Edge Classic, named in honor of the matriarch of N.C. Wesleyan College women's athletics. Prior to CNU's matchup on Saturday, the Bishops will take on Virginia Wesleyan College at 2:00 pm. In the Classic format, Ferrum faces the Marlins, followed by CNU taking on NCWC.
Christopher Newport will look to carry its early season momentum into the non-conference tournament, after starting the year with a 2-0 mark earlier this week. The Captains captured two blowout wins in two drastically different ways, powered primarily by the starters in a game one win over Washington & Lee before seeing 15 different players score in game two against Bridgewater. The Captains continue to be led by a deep rotation of second- and first-year players, with only two upperclassmen on the active roster.
The balanced offense has four players averaging double figures through the first two games, including 12.5, 11.5 and 10.5 points per game from three starters in
Jalynn Ponzo,
Sam Porter and
Devon Byrd, respectively. At point guard,
Makenzie Fancher is averaging 8.5 points, 6.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game with just three turnovers so far, helping facilitate the potent attack.
Defensively, the Captains have been impressive early, blocking 12 shots and ripping 28 steals in the opening week, including a team-high seven thefts by Porter. CNU is averaging 17.5 points per game off turnovers, while also limiting possessions by outrebounding opponents by an average of 14.5 rebounds per game.
The opponents for this weekend are familiar foes of the CNU program, though not to many active players on Coach Broderick's team. Members of the USA South Athletic Conference for 40 years between 1972-2012, the Captains have faced Ferrum and N.C. Wesleyan a combined 148 time, posting 113 victories. However, only junior forward
Savannah Melvin has faced the USA South programs more than once in her career. The sophomore class enjoyed a 78-63 win over N.C. Wesleyan at home last season, marking their lone career matchup with a USA South opponent.
Heading into this weekend's matchup, the host Battling Bishops are off to a 1-0 start after posting a 77-44 win at Mid-Atlantic Christian. Ferrum split its opening weekend series at the Randolph-Macon Tip-Off Classic, dropping Mount Saint Vincent before falling to Catholic.
Ferrum has been led by Zarkia Mattox with 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Kemani Crawford leads the team in rebounding and is second in scoring, with 9.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest.
In N.C. Wesleyan's lone contest, sophomore forward Kechae Parker scored 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting while grabbing a team-high 17 rebounds. Junior Timyra Staton added 12 points and nine rebounds for the Bishops.
Following the Captains' action this weekend, the team will take a week off for the Thanksgiving holiday, returning to play Frostburg State University in the CAC regular season opener on November 29 at 1:00 pm.
