Box Score in HTML Format

WESTMINSTER, Md. -- Seniors Bailey Dufrene and Sam Porter each finished in double figures to lead another balanced offensive effort while the terrorizing CNU defense forced 41 turnovers in a 74-48 win over St. John Fisher in the McDaniel Tip-Off Tournament Friday night. The Captains (2-0) will play for the tournament championship against the host Green Terror at 4:00 pm on Sunday afternoon. 

Dufrene and Porter each finished 5-for-11 from the field with 11 and 12 points respectively. Porter also led the team with six rebounds and four steals, while Dufrene chipped in five boards, two assists, and three steals. 

The balanced attack included 13 different players logging at least one point in the game for the nationally-ranked Captains, including six players with multiple made field goals.

The defense impressed for the second straight game to start the year, averaging over one turnover per minute in the game, while grabbing 18 steals. Six different players had more than one steal as rookie Bailey Hodges (3), juniors Zhara Tannor (2) and  Madison Howdyshell (2), and senior Makenzie Fancher (2) joined Dufrene and Porter. CNU scored 52 of their 74 points off of turnovers. 

The game was a wire-to-wire victory as CNU never trailed the Cardinals after opening the game on an 11-2 run. The lead would build to 16 after the first quarter, 29-13, punctuated by a pair of steals and fast-break layups from Sam Porter in the last 20 seconds of the frame. 

After a pair of free-throws by Fancher with 2:49 left in the second quarter, the Captains took a 25-point lead, 44-19. St. John Fisher closed on a 6-0 run to make the halftime score, 44-25. After the intermission, the Captains' relentless pressure did not let up, and held the Cardinals to just six points in the third quarter. CNU held Fisher to just 1-of-8 shooting with 16 turnovers in the stanza. 

With a big lead in hand, the Captains would coast through the fourth to lock up a 74-48 victory. CNU shot 35.1% (26-74) from the floor including six made three-pointers. The Captains also had an edge on the glass, 46-33, and went 16-of-20 from the free-throw line for an 80% success rate. 

Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday at 4:00 pm as they take on the host McDaniel College Green Terror (1-1) in the tournament championship game.