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ST. MARY'S CITY, Md. -- The fifth-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team bounced back following its first loss of the season with an 11-point come-from-behind win on the road Saturday, topping St. Mary's College of Maryland, 67-56. The Captains turned a four-point halftime deficit into a double-digit second-half lead with an impressive third quarter, led by the efforts of leading scorer Sam Porter.

The Captains improved to 20-1 overall with a 13-1 mark in conference play while the Seahawks fell to 6-15, 4-10. 

Porter, who had just four points and one rebound in the first half, with zero steals, dominated the third quarter for Christopher Newport. She scored 12 points in the stanza, leading CNU to one of their finest offensive quarters of the season, with 29 total points. Porter was equally as impressive on the defensive side, picking up five steals in the third stanza, helping CNU get out to a 57-48 lead headed into the final ten minutes. 

With the first five points of the fourth quarter, the Captains wrapped up a 16-2 run that proved to be the difference in the game. CNU scored 12 straight at the end of the third and start of the fourth, pulling ahead for a game-high 14-point lead, 62-48, after a three-pointer by Zhara Tannor. With short time, St. Mary's was unable to cut closer than six, and CNU finished off the comeback win. 

The victory was powered by a tremendous defensive performance overall, especially in the second half. CNU had nine steals in the first half, but backed it up with 18 after the break for a season-high 27 thefts. It was the most steals in a game since 2010, when the Captains grabbed 30 steals against N.C. Wesleyan on January 13. 

The game started with CNU taking a quick lead on the road. Behind a hot start from Makenzie Fancher, the Captains raced out to 10-2 lead in the game. The combination of Zhara Tannor to Fancher led to the first eight points of the game for CNU, as the junior guard hit a jumper and back-to-back three-pointers in the first 2:02. A layup by Porter, off an assist by Fancher, rounded out the opening spurt.
 
The Seahawks would respond with a run of their own, closing to within one point, 17-16, on a three-pointer by Olivia Nowlin with less than a minute to go in the period. CNU junior Bailey Dufrene answered with a three on the very next possession to make it 20-16 at the end of the first quarter.
 
With the first two buckets in the second quarter, the Captains extended the lead back to eight, 24-16, after Makeda Wright and Micah Maloney converted for CNU. After Maloney knocked down another putback layup with 7:53 to go, though, the Captains offense went cold. Heading into the halftime break, the Captains managed just two points in the final 7:53. Meanwhile, the Seahawks put together a 14-2 run to take the lead for the first time, handing CNU just its fourth halftime deficit of the season, at 32-28.
 
Fancher led the way at halftime courtesy of the strong start, leading CNU with nine points, three rebounds and one assist. Nowlin had the strongest first half for the home team, scoring 11 points with four rebounds and three assists. Kobe Chaney added nine points and five rebounds.
 
At the start of the second half, the Captains amped up their defensive pressure and managed to re-take the lead early on. Behind a tormenting defense that grabbed 10 steals in the third quarter, the Captains scored 29 points for one of their best offensive quarters of the season. It was the most points in a quarter since a 30-point third quarter against Southern Virginia on November 30, a span of 63 quarters.
 
Porter was at the forefront of the Captains big period, taking control with 12 points and five steals to lead the way on both ends of the floor. At the end of the third, Tannor hit Anitra Thomas with a skip pass to the right wing, where Thomas then drilled a three from the wing to pull ahead by five, 53-48. Porter and Jessica Daguilh then added two more free-throws each to extend the lead to a game-high nine headed into the final quarter, 57-48.

As mentioned, CNU scored the first five points on the fourth, when Devon Byrd converted off an offensive rebound and Tannor banged home a three-pointer from the right wing with 8:55 remaining. The Seahawks held CNU in check for another long stretch, as CNU went scoreless for over six and a half minutes in the fourth, but another offensive rebound led to another Devon Byrd score with 2:20 remaining to end the drought. The bucket stopped St. Mary's run at 8-0, and stymied any chance of another comeback by the home team.

Porter finished with a team-high 16 points, while Fancher added 14 points. Porter also led the team's defensive effort with seven steals, while ten different players picked up at least one steal in the game. Zhara Tannor was second in that column, with five thefts, while she matched her career-high for the second time in three games with seven assists. 

Three Seahawks finished in double figures, including a game-high 18 points from senior Nina Haller. Haller added nine rebounds, while Nowlin poured in 16 points and Kobe Chaney finished with 13. 

The Captains will return to the Freeman Cente rnext week for the final two home games of the regular season. CNU will host Marymount University on Wednesday, February 8 at 5:30 pm, before hosting Wesley College for Senior Day on Saturday, February 11 at 2:00 pm.