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DOVER, Del. -- With the non-conference portion of the schedule behind them, a pair of Top 10 ranked Christopher Newport basketball teams will turn focus to league play starting Wednesday, as the Captains travel to Wesley College for a Capital Athletic Conference doubleheader. The women's game will tip off at 4:00 pm, as the No. 7/8 CNU women put their perfect 11-0 record to the test against the Wolverines (5-6, 1-3), followed by a 6:00 pm first whistle for the 6th-ranked CNU men, carrying a 9-2 overall record in against the home team. 

Game Coverage
Where: Wentworth Gymnasium -- Dover, Del.
When: 4:00 pm & 6:00 pm
Watch: Live stats and video available. Video at CNUsports.com/live for both games. Links to live stats are listed above and on the schedule page at CNUsports.com
Listen: An audio webcast and live radio broadcast is available of the men's game on Xtra 99.1 FM, the CNU/Pepsi Radio Network

About No. 7/8 CNU Women's Basketball (11-0, 4-0)
The Christopher Newport women's team moved up in the national rankings this week, hauling in the program's first regular season ranking inside the Top 10 since the 2009-10 season. That season, the Captains won their first 30 games before finally suffering their only loss of the year in the NCAA Sweet 16; this season, CNU is off to another hot start, winning the team's first 11 games. It is just the third time in program history the CNU women have started the year perfect through their first 11 games. 

The key to success for this year's squad has been defense, playing a tough system under fifth-year head coach Bill Broderick. The Captains rank third nationally in scoring margin, outscoring their opponents by 28.5 points per game, and are among the top five nationally in steals and turnovers forced. Leading the charge on the defensive end is junior Sam Porter, who leads the team with 46 thefts this season and ranks fifth all-time in program history with 2.8 steals per game. She is nearing the top 10 in career steals at CNU, and is among the nation's active leaders with 185 through her first two and a half seasons.

Porter is also the team's leader offensively, scoring 11.6 points per game while hauling in 7.8 rebounds per contest. Junior Devon Byrd is also coming off back-to-back strong performances in her first two starts of the season. Byrd grabbed 25 rebounds and added 17 points in the last two contests.

About Wesley Women's Basketball (5-6, 1-3)
Wesley features two of the league's six leading scorers in junior Alexus Stroud (14.5 ppg) and senior Brionna Johnson (14.2 ppg). The duo lead a relatively short bench for head coach James Wearden, as only six players are averaging over 15 minutes played per game this season. Johnson is a three-time All-Conference selection and ranks in the top 10 in career scoring and rebounding for the Wolverines. Stroud is one of the top three-point shooters in the conference, hitting 40% from long rance. 

A veteran team, Wesley comes into Wednesday's contest with two seniors, two juniors and a sophomore in the probable starting lineup. The one second-year player is Monshea Newsome-Murray, who started 22 of 23 games played last season. Newsome-Murray leads the team in assists and steals per game this season. 

The Women's Matchup
Christopher Newport owns a perfect 10-0 record against the Wolverines in the all-time series. Since joining the CAC, the Captains have won all six matchups, by an average score of 28.5 points. 

About No. 6 CNU Men's Basketball (9-2, 3-1)
The Captains are coming off a double-digit win over cross-water rival Virginia Wesleyan on New Year's Day, in a tough battle against the Marlins for the non-conference finale. Led by 27 points from Aaron McFarland, and double figure scoring from four different players, the Captains impressed in the first game of 2017 with a high-octane back-and-forth matchup worthy of the intense rivalry. Coming out on top, Christopher Newport improved to 9-2 overall with the non-conference slate behind them, and will now look ahead to 14 more regular season games against conference opponents. 

McFarland broke out with his season-best performance against the Marlins, while junior Marcus Carter continued his hot streak with a stat-stuffing performance of his own. Carter scored 19 points with 9 rebounds, three blocks, an assist and a steal in the victory, coming on the heels of being named the Crowne Plaza Captains Shootout MVP last week. For his efforts, Carter was named the CAC Player of the Week on Monday afternoon, earning the distinction for the first time this season. 

The team defense that has led CNU all season was in full force against the Marlins, holding a team that had scored over 100 in their three previous games to just 75 points. over 12 points shy of their season's average. The Captains now rank second in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 55.7 points per game while holding opponents to just 34.7% shooting, also ranked second nationally.

About Wesley Men's Basketball (5-6, 3-1)
The Wolverines have won four of their last six games, including three straight conference games against Southern Virginia, Frostburg State, and York (Pa.), to tie the Captains for second in the CAC standings. Wesley is coming off a 100-point performance on the West Coast, sliding past George Fox by a final score of 100-91 just before the holiday break. The Wolverines have been off since December 21, after which the Captains have played three games.  

Led by junior J.W. Lawson, the Wolverines feature a young group atop their scoring chart, with two underclassmen among the top three leading scorers. Lawson ranks second in the league in scoring, just shy of 17 points per contest, while sophomore Evan Anderson (13 ppg) and rookie Brian Cameron (12.5 ppg) are also averaging double figures. 

The Men's Matchup
CNU holds a 14-4 advantage in the all-time series and have won six straight. The last win for the Wolverines came in Wentworth Gymnasium in the 2013-14 season by a final score of 66-63.

Coming Up Next
CNU will stay on the road this weekend as the Captains travel to Northern Virginia to face Marymount University on Saturday, January 7. Tip for the CAC doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm.