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SALISBURY, Md. -- Sophomore Devon Byrd blocked a three-point attempt from Mary McDonagh with less than three seconds remaining to help the 24th-ranked Captains survive a scare at Salisbury University (10-10, 6-7) to secure Christopher Newport's 13th straight victory. CNU led by as many as 11 points before a fourth-quarter comeback by the home team threatened to put the first blemish on CNU's 2016, but Byrd's defensive stand sealed the win for the Captains. In the win, sophomore Sam Porter fell just two steals shy of a triple double, finishing with a game-high 15 points, 10 rebounds and eight steals. 

CNU improves to 18-2 overall with an 11-2 mark in conference play while Salisbury falls to 10-10 and 6-7 in league play.  The 13-game winning streak is the longest since a 14-game spurt in the 2013-14 season and the sixth longest winning streak in program history. 

Porter matched her career with the eight thefts, and powered another dominant defensive effort by the Captains unit. CNU's full-court pressure and stifling zone defense led to 34 Salisbury turnovers, including 19 CNU steals. On the other end of the floor, the Sea Gulls were defending well also, racking up 13 blocked shots and holding Christopher Newport to a season-low 27.3% shooting (18-66). 

Still, the Captains would hold off a comeback bid in the fourth quarter to pick up the win. Salisbury outscored the Captains, 17-9, in the final period, pulling to within one at 53-52 with 49 seconds remaining, but Porter and Byrd each hit one free-throw and each came up with a big defensive stop.

First, with less than 20 minutes remaining, Salisbury's leading scorer Julia McLaughlin looked to find a cutter in the lane, but Porter jumped in front of the pass for her eighth steal. Then, with a three-point lead Byrd played tight defense on the in-bounds pass to McDonagh on the final possession, raising her right hand and swatting the potential game-tying shot out of bounds. 

Leading up to the dramatic finish, the Captains' post players led the way again in front of 250 fans in the Maggs Physical Activities Center. Porter had a game-high 15 while Byrd poured in 14 points to go with seven rebounds. Reserve forward Jessica Daguilh stepped in and went 4-of-7 from the field for eight points and was a key figure in the Captains road to an 11-point lead in the third quarter. 

CNU led by only five at the half, 28-23, as the Salisbury defense held the Captains to just nine made field goals in the first 20 minutes. The CNU defense also allowed only eight made field goals and forced 19 first-half turnovers in the first-half struggle. In total, Salisbury turned the ball over 34 times with the Captains scoring 22 points off of Sea Gull giveaways. 

Lauren Rothfeld came off the bench to lead the way with 14 points and six rebounds, but also had a game-high eight turnovers. McLaughlin also had 10 points for the home team, paired with eight blocked shots and five rebounds. 

The hotly contested matchup marked just the fifth time this season the Captains played in a game decided by seven or fewer points, and the first decided by three or less. It was also just the fourth game CNU was outrebounded this season, improving to 3-1 in games without the advantage on the glass. 

Christopher Newport will now travel to Wesley College (5-15, 4-9) on Saturday, February 6 at 1:00 pm. CNU is tied with Mary Washington currently one game back of Marymount in the conference standings, with five games to play.