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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Returning to the NCAA Tournament for the 18th time in program history, including the fourth time in five years under head coach Bill Broderick, the 7th-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team will open play on Friday night against the College of Staten Island (22-6). Tipoff for the first round action is set tentatively at 7:30 pm, immediately following a neutral site game between Lynchburg College and Catholic University of America, set to tangle at 5:30 pm in the Freeman Center. 

The Captains carry a 25-2 overall record into the postseason, facing off against the Dolphins of CSI, who boast a 22-6 mark after winning the 2017 City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) Championship. CNU also won their conference title, capturing the Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) Championship for the first time in program history. It was the 11th conference crown since the inception of the program, with 10 collected during the team's tenure in the Dixie Intercollegiate / USA South Athletic Conference. 

Tickets are available for purchase at the CNU Ticket Office in the Freeman Center -- adult chairback tickets are $10, and general admission tickets are $7, with special pricing of $4 for children and students with a valid ID. Christopher Newport students with a valid ID will be admitted free of charge, courtesy of the CNU Department of Athletics. For those fans unable to attend the games, a live video webcast and live stats will be available at the time of tip, with links available at the top of this page or through the basketball schedule page at CNUsports.com. 

The first round game against Staten Island is the first home game for the Captains in the NCAA Tournament since 2013. CNU has hosted seven NCAA Tournament games in the Freeman Center dating back to the 2002 season. 

Christopher Newport will look to continue it's recent trend of success in the postseason, riding a run of five straight tournament appearances with an NCAA Sweet 16 finish or better. Three of those deep runs have come under the direction of head coach Bill Broderick, including an Elite Eight finish in 2013. This season, the Captains have bought into Broderick's formula for success with a deep rotation offensively and a hard-nosed, suffocating defensive effort. Sam Porter leads the team statistically, with 12.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.9 steals per game, but key contributions are made up and down the lineup for the Captains. 

Nine different CNU players have led the Captains in scoring during at least one game this season, including junior Jasmine Bonivel who led the way for the first time in the 2017 CAC Championship Game against Mary Washington. Bonivel caught fire from long range, converting a perfect 4-for-4 beyond the arc, and finished with a game-high 14 points. Porter has been the consistent threat, and nearly posted a triple-double in the title bout with the Eagles, finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 steals. 

Porter's nine steals ran her single season total to 102, matching the most for a player since the 1998-99 season. Her efforts rank tied for 7th on the single season chart, and she now has nearly 250 thefts in her career. The Captains defense ranks fourth nationally in turnovers forced, and third in steals per game. The frustrating unit also holds opponents to just 53.4 points per game, ranking 37th nationally, and has gone 20-0 in games in which the opponent fails to score 60 points. 

On Friday night, the defense will have it's hands full with one of the nation's top offenses looking to crash the Captains plans at another deep run into the tournament. Led by junior shooting guard Christina Pasaturo, the Dolphins are among the nation's leading scoring offenses with 74.6 points per game. Pasaturo is pouring in 21.8 points per game, primarily from beyond the arc, as she ranks second nationally in three-pointers made this season (105). Coming into Friday night, she is just three points shy of the Staten Island single season scoring record.

Pasaturo is also a feisty defender, picking up 84 steals to lead a tough defense that, like the Captains', forces a lot of turnovers. The Dolphins rank in the top 15 nationally in turnovers forced and steals per game. In the front court, junior Samantha Flecker is adding nearly 16 points and 9 rebounds per game for the Dolphins. The roster is devoid of seniors, and the young squad features four players averaging 28 minutes per game or more. 

Following Friday night's action, the winning team will advance to face the winner of the Catholic/Lynchburg matchup in the second round on Saturday, March 4. The second round game will tip from the Freeman Center at 7:00 pm.