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ARLINGTON, Va. -- After trailing by as many as 17 heading into the start of the fourth quarter, the CNU women's basketball team never quit and rallied with a 19-4 run to pull the game back within two, but Marymount held off the surging Captains to hand CNU a 49-44 setback. The Captains fall to 5-2 overall with a 1-2 mark in conference play, while Marymount improves to 5-2 with a 2-0 record against league foes. 

Defensively, the Captains continue to showcase one of the best units in the country, holding the Saints to just 49 points and marking the sixth straight game a CNU opponent has failed to score at least 55 points. Trailing by just four at halftime, 25-21, it was a cold third quarter that proved to be the difference as the Saints outscored CNU 16-3 in the period. 

In the first quarter, the home team raced out to a nine-point lead, 13-4, powered by six early turnovers from the Captains. CNU sophomore Sam Porter drilled her first two first shots of the day, but the giveaways plagued the Captains in the early going. A three-pointer by Makenzie Fancher and a stick-back bucket from rookie Jessica Daguilh managed to keep the first quarter deficit to nine, 18-9, and CNU carried that momentum into the second stanza. 

Daguilh hit her first two shots of the second period to get the score back to within seven, and with less than a minute remaining in the first half, Fancher banged home a triple and Porter added a steal and fast-break layup with just seconds remaining for the first half score of 25-21. 

Having clawed back to within two possessions, momentum looked to be in favor of head coach Bill Broderick's squad, but Marymount scored the first ten points of the third quarter to re-take a double-digit lead. Nicole Viscuso led the way for the Saints, scoring 11 points in the third quarter. 

Facing a large deficit heading into the final ten minutes, the Captains did not shy away. Within the first 2:13 of the quarter, the Captains had shaved the lead to eight with a red-hot effort to start the frame, scoring on their first four possessions. Bailey Dufrene knocked down a key three-pointer between a pair of CNU steals and fast-break layups by Devon Byrd and Fancher.  Miranda Krott got Marymount one point from the free-throw line, followed by a perfect trip to the line by Byrd as CNU pulled within seven, 42-35. 

Marymount senior Kievanna Lacey hit a big shot in the lane, but a foul sent Fancher to the line for two and she drilled both shots. Then, Byrd stole the ball from Lacey and the Captains found Dufrene open on the wing for a huge three, cutting the score to 44-40 with 1:55 remaining. Another 1-for-2 trip to the line for the Saints set up another big shot from beyond the arc, as Dufrene set up Fancher in the corner to pull CNU within one possession, 45-43, for the first time since it was 5-2. The Captains defense made a huge play on the next possesion as the press looked like it had forced a key turnover, but after a CNU player jumped a passing lane and looked to have a clean steal, the ball ricocheted right to the hands of Tyffani McQueen for a wide-open layup to pull back ahead by four with 28 seconds remaining. 

It would prove to be the game-winning swing, as CNU could only come up with one point from the free-throw line in the final 30 seconds.

Christopher Newport continued its stifling defense with 21 steals and three blocks, while forcing a season-high 30 Marymount turnovers. Fancher led the offense with 13 points on 4-9 shooting while Dufrene finished with nine points, seven rebounds and three steals. Porter continued to impress defensively with another 6-steal effort, paired with six points and three blocks. 

Viscuso led all scorers with 19 points for Marymount, while three Saints delivered double-figure scoring. Miranda Krott had ten points and seven rebounds, while Lacey also finished with 10 points to go with four rebounds and four assists. 

CNU will now take an eight-day break before returning to the court for non-conference action. The Captains will travel to Virginia Wesleyan College on Sunday, December 13 for a 4:00 pm game as the second part of a doubleheader with the men's teams.