NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Following a season in which Christopher Newport women's basketball led the nation in steals, the Captains Chaos was back in full force to start the 2018-19 season. CNU opened the year with a 77-52 win over Virginia Wesleyan University (0-1) on Sunday, forcing 33 turnovers and earning 20 steals as a team.
Senior
Jessica Daguilh led the overall effort on both ends of the floor, notching a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds while also leading the team with four steals. Sophomore
Bailey Hodges also poured in a career-high 16 points as one of four players to finish in double figures in the season opener.
The Captains improved to 7-0 in home openers under head coach
Bill Broderick, who started his seventh season with his 149th career victory in his 180th game at CNU.
Christopher Newport led wire-to-wire after opening up a quick 12-3 advantage in the first quarter, including five points off of turnovers.
Kiana Kirkland drilled a three-pointer to open the scoring and senior
Madison Howdyshell buried a tough and-one opportunity and converted the free-throw for a traditional three-point play. Daguilh added a pair of layups and rookie
Natalie Terwilliger knocked down a pair of free-throws in the initial burst.
Back-to-back jumpers hit by the Marlins lowered the lead to just five, but it would be as close as the visitors would get the rest of the afternoon. Christopher Newport closed the opening quarter with a 21-13 advantage after 10 minutes and a suffocating 13-2 run to open the second 10 minutes put the Captains in command. Deadly three-point shooting from rookies Terwilliger and
Jessica Foster keyed the roll, with three triples in the first four minutes of the second quarter.
CNU increased the first-half lead to 22 on Foster's third three-pointer of the half with less than a minute to go. Heading into the locker room, Virginia Wesleyan's leading scorer, Jayla Harris, knocked down a bucket for a 20-point deficit at the break, 45-25.
Daguilh carried the interior offense on the night with an efficient 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while also leading the game in rebounding with 10 boards. The Captains knocked down nine three-pointers on 27 attempts with four different players converting from long range. Hodges and Foster each hit three from beyond the arc while Terwilliger added two to Kirkland's one. Foster finished with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting in her collegiate debut, while also dishing a pair of assists with two steals. Terwilliger added 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting with 3 rebounds, a block, and a steal.
The "Captains Chaos" defense never relented, forcing 12 turnovers in the final quarter for a final tally of 33 Marlins turnovers. CNU snared 20 steals with Howdyshell and Kirkland each grabbing three behind Daguilh's game-high four thefts.
Jasmine Norman and Foster also had two and six more Captains grabbed one steal apiece.
The defense held Virginia Wesleyan to just 37.5% shooting (18-48) and only 25% from long range (4-16). On the other end, CNU shot 43.1% (28-65) with a 33% effort from three-point land (9-27).
Christopher Newport will return to action on Wednesday, November 14 against Stevenson University at 6:00 pm.
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