CNU Women's Basketball Game Notes
CNU Men's Basketball Game Notes

FROSTBURG, Md. -- In what will be the first of three conference road games this week, the Christopher Newport basketball teams travel to play Frostburg State University on Monday evening, with tip for the women's game set at 4:30 pm, followed at 6:30 pm by the men's programs. Due to Winter Storm Jonas forcing a postponement last weekend, the Capital Athletic Conference will feature a full slate of games on Monday. 

The games were originally scheduled to be played last Saturday, January 23 but were postponed due to a blizzard that swept through the mid-atlantic region.  The makeup game sets up a grueling schedule for the Captains, who will face three road contests this week, starting with long road trip to Frostburg. 

The first game will feature the red-hot CNU women's team, riding an 11-game winning streak coming into the conference tilt against the Bobcats. CNU is now 16-2 overall with a 9-2 mark in conference play, facing a Frostburg State squad that is 3-15 overall and still searching for its first win in conference play at 0-11. 

The Captains are getting contributions up and down the lineup, and head coach Bill Broderick has kept his players fresh with a rotation that sees no player averaging more than 26.3 minutes per game. The CNU offense ranks tops in the league in scoring with 75.5 points per game, while also holding opponents to just 51.2 points per game for the third best scoring defense in the CAC. Nationally, the Captains rank fourth in scoring margin while pairing a balanced attack with a tough defensive unit. 

At the top of the scoresheet are sophomores Anitra Thomas (10.6 ppg), Sam Porter (9.8 ppg) and Devon Byrd (9.6 ppg). Thomas is among the league's leading three-point shooters while the other two are a strong starting front court, averaging 12.1 rebounds and 5.7 steals per game combined. Rounding out the starting five are two more sophomores in Makenzie Fancher and Bailey Dufrene. Both are pouring in over seven points per game while Fancher ranks fifth in the conference in assists with 61 and Dufrene is chipping in four rebounds per game. 

The Bobcats, under the direction of second-year head coach Carrie Saunders, have picked up all three of their wins this season in the home gym. Frostburg State is 3-6 in Bobcat Arena this year and are led by junior forward Kirsten Rayner. Rayner is leading the team in scoring and rebounding with 13.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per contest. Earlier this season, CNU improved to 7-0 all-time against Frostburg State with a 92-38 victory at the Freeman Center. 

Following the women's matchup, the ninth-ranked CNU men's program will also look to maintain a big run, as the Captains seek their eighth straight victory. Head coach John Krikorian and the CNU men are 17-1 overall this season and remain undefeated in conference play with an 11-0 mark. Frostburg State will look to be the first team to topple the Captains, who now own a four-game lead in the CAC standings. The Bobcats are very much in the hunt for the CAC Tournament with a 6-12 overall record and a 4-7 mark in conference play. 

Also like the CNU women, the Captains feature a potent, and balanced rotation that includes only one player averaging more than 28 minutes per game. Coming off the largest scoring margin in the history of Krikorian's coaching tenure at CNU, the Captains are now averaging 75.8 points per game with six players pouring in 7.5 per game or more. They pair that lethal offense with an even more powerful defense. Prior to Saturday's game in which the Captains' held Penn State Harrisburg to just 41 points, CNU ranked sixth nationally in scoring defense with 60.9 points per game allowed. That mark is now down to 59.8 ppg. 

Aaron McFarland continues to lead the scoring chart for CNU with fellow sophomore Marcus Carter tightly in tow. McFarland remains one of the toughest shooters in the conference and is chipping in 15.8 points per game, while Carter leads the team and ranks fourth in the CAC in overall field goal percetage at 54.3 percent. He is scoring 15.0 points per game and also ranks second on the team in rebounding with 6.0 rebounds per contest. 

Frostburg State will counter with an athletic team with a shorter bench than the Captains, but a talented starting group that includes four players averaging double figures. Led by Nick Smoot at 13 points per game, the Bobcats are looking to shake a streak that includes losses in four of the last five games. CNU captured a 74-47 victory against Frostburg State on November 29. 

Both games will be webcast live via Captains Sports Live and fans can find the link to both games at CNUsports.com/live. The men's game will also be broadcast via the CNU/Pepsi Radio Network on Xtra 99.1 FM. Live stats links are available on the CNU schedule at CNUsports.com.