NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Career-high scoring performances by sophomores Sondra Fan and Natalie Terwilliger highlighted a thrilling overtime win for Christopher Newport women's basketball on Saturday afternoon as the Captains outlasted Randolph-Macon College (2-6) for a 95-87 win. Fan and Terwilliger each poured in a game-high 27 points including 12 of the Captains' 15 points in extra time to lead the Captains to victory. 

Christopher Newport improved to 7-3 on the season with the overtime win that saw the Captains lead for nearly 37 minutes of action. The hard-fought tussle featured five lead changes and nine instances in which the score was tied. The eighth came with 33 seconds left in the fourth quarter when R-MC senior Kelly Williams delivered a game-tying jumper that would eventually force overtime. After the two teams traded baskets to start the extra period, Christopher Newport went on a 13-5 run to win the game. 

With the eight-point victory, Christopher Newport improved to 6-0 all-time in overtime games played at the Freeman Center. The Captains remain unbeaten at home and extended the fourth-longest home winning streak in program history to 14 games. 

In a one-on-one matchup down low that featured a highlight-reel battle between Williams and Terwilliger, it was the Captains' sophomore that pulled away with a sensational finish to lead Christopher Newport to the win. After Randolph-Macon took a two-point lead, their first since the early stages of the first quarter, with less than two minutes to go in regulation, it was Fan to Terwilliger for a three-pointer that teetered the Captains back in front, 79-78. It was the first of three triples that the sophomore forward would bury in key moments to propel CNU into the win column. She also hit back-to-back treys in the final two minutes of overtime from the right wing that turned a two-point lead into a much more daunting six-point edge. 

After the second OT three-pointer, senior Kiana Kirkland picked up a key steal that would force the Yellow Jackets to foul. Fan went to the line and hit 1-of-2, establishing a three-possession lead, and Kirkland would go 2-for-2 on the next trip to inch the lead right back to seven. Finally, Bailey Hodges tacked on one more free-throw for the final score, 95-87, as the Captains outscored Randolph-Macon, 15-7, in the extra five minutes of basketball. 

Leading up to overtime, Terwilliger and Fan were torching the nets all night. The two combined to go 20-for-30 from the field including over 50% from long range with a combined 6-for-11 mark from beyond the arc. At the line, Fan knocked down 7-of-10 free-throws and the Poquoson, Va. native also led the team in assists with six. Terwilliger wrapped up a double-double with 27 points and 13 rebounds while also swatting three shots and picking up a steal. While the sophomore duo stole the show, Kirkland also registered one of her finest career performances with an 18-point effort on 6-of-11 shooting and a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe. Together, the three starters scored 26 of the Captains' 33 made field goals in the game. 

On the other end of the floor, turnovers plagued the Yellow Jackets in the first half as Christopher Newport forced 24 giveaways in the first 20 minutes of action. The Captains scored 33 points in the game off turnovers after grabbing 16 steals. 

Williams posted a double-double for R-MC with 16 points, 16 rebounds and 6 blocks. She was one of five Yellow Jackets in double figures, led by Becca Arrington and Michal Ross with 18 points each. 

The exciting matchup between the regional rivals was well-executed on both sides. R-MC dished out 26 assists to 32 made baskets while the Captains had 21 helpers on 33 buckets. The teams combined for 18 blocks and 29 steals while both shot over 42% from the field. 

The 27-point performances by Fan and Terwilliger match the single-game high for a Christopher Newport player since the 2016-17 season when Sam Porter scored 33 against Salisbury. 

Christopher Newport will travel to Virginia Wesleyan University on Sunday, December 15 for their next matchup to kick off another long road swing. The Captains will play the next five games away from home starting with the 1:00 pm tip against the Marlins. 

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