NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- After both teams captured Capital Athletic Conference crowns a year ago, the nationally-ranked CNU basketball teams will begin defense of their crowns together on Wednesday night, hosting Salisbury University at the Freeman Center in a conference doubleheader set to tip off at 5:30 pm. 

The first game of the twin bill will feature the CNU women's basketball team, freshly minted with the highest national ranking in program history at No. 2 in the nation according to D3hoops.com. Also ranked No. 3 by the WBCA Coaches' Poll, the Captains carry a perfect 4-0 start into the league opening game against the Sea Gulls, who have started the year with a 3-2 overall record. 

The 17th-ranked CNU men's team, with a 3-1 mark, will take on Salisbury boasting a 2-1 start to the year at approximately 7:30 pm. The nightcap will be the latest installment in what has rapidly become one of the nation's tightest rivalries over the last several seasons. In the last five matchups between the two teams, the games have been decided by a mere five points with two going into overtime. Extending back to the previous 10 matchups, the margin of victory is just 36 total points for an average of 3.6 per game. 

Live stats and a live video webcast will be available for both games at CNUsports.com/live -- links can also be found on the basketball schedules at CNUsports.com. The men's game will also be broadcast live on the CNU/Pepsi Radio Network on Xtra 99.1 FM. 

About No. 2/3 CNU Women's Basketball (4-0, 0-0)
CNU captured the first CAC crown in program history last season and will embark on its title defense at home against the Salisbury Sea Gulls. CNU is off to a 4-0 start courtesy of an offense outscoring opponents by an average of 19.5 points per game this season. The tough CNU defense is holding opponents to just 50.0 points per game and ranks fifth nationally in turnovers forced (35.75/game).

Coming into Wednesday's contest, senior Sam Porter is just 14 points shy of 1,000 for her career and leads the team in scoring with 10.3 points per game this year. She is also the team's leader and ranks 35th in the nation in steals per game (4.00) and is closing in on becoming just the fourth player in program history with 300 career thefts. She currently ranks 8th all-time with 267 career steals and is just four shy of Tia Perry for seventh on the list.

Depth and balance has been the trend early this season for CNU, with only two players averaging 18 minutes or more per game. Those players are starting guards Makenzie Fancher (20.3 mpg) and Zhara Tannor (20.0 mpg), while 14 players are averaging double figure minutes so far.  

About Salisbury University Women's Basketball (3-2, 0-0)
The Sea Gulls are coming off a pair of convincing road victories at Stevenson, 64-38, and at Catholic, 59-34, and are powered by one of the nation's top defenses in the early portion of the schedule. Opponents are averaging just 29.7% shooting against Salisbury this season, ranking 21st in the nation after the first two weeks.

Junior Megan Konig leads the scoring with 13.4 points per game while also ranking among the team's leading rebounders with 5.0 boards per game. Defensively, rookie Amber Onyekwere is leading the team with 3.0 steals per game, while junior Kaylyn French is adding 2.3 thefts per contest as well. 

About No. 17 CNU Men's Basketball (3-1, 0-0)
Following their first setback of the season, the Captains slipped to No. 17 in the D3hoops.com national rankings this week, but still carry a 3-1 record into the conference opener on Wednesday night. CNU is set to defend back-to-back conference championships with the first league game on Wednesday. CNU is 34-1 in conference play over the last two seasons with their lone loss being a one-point setback, 59-58, on a half-court buzzer-beater from the Sea Gulls in Salisbury last season. 

Led by senior Aaron McFarland and his 21.0 points per game, the Captains are averaging 71.2 points per game as a team. Senior Spencer Marin has been incredibly efficient through the first four games, shooting over 65% from the floor while pouring in 14.0 points per game. Marin also leads the team in rebounding with 6.8 rebounds per game while sophomore guard Nick Parks is second in that department with 6.5 boards per game. 

This is the 41st meeting between the two teams with CNU holding a 25-15 advantage in the series. The Captains have won five of the last six, including both of the last two CAC Championship games. 

About Salisbury Men's Basketball (2-1, 0-0)
After scoring 90+ points in a pair of wins to start the year, Salisbury suffered a narrow setback against Virginia Wesleyan just before the Thanksgiving break. A one-possession game, the Sea Gulls fell 80-77 to the Marlins to set up their 2-1 overall mark coming into Wednesday night. 

Senior Chad Barcikowski, who hit the buzzer-beating shot to sink the Captains last season, is leading the charge for Salisbury this season with a per-game average of 14.7 points. He's also hauling in 5.7 rebounds per game with 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals as well. In the paint, Johnson Ogonyoye has been tough defensively, averaging 2.0 blocks per game, while adding 7.7 rebounds per contest.

Game Times
Tip off for the women's contest is scheduled for 5:30 pm. The men's matchup will begin approximately 20 minutes following the conclusion of the women's game, or no earlier than 7:30 pm.