MIDDLETOWN, Pa. -- Six Captains finished in double figures and the Captains defense forced 29 turnovers in a well-rounded performance on the road Saturday afternoon, as Christopher Newport clinched the 2018-19 Capital Athletic Conference regular season championship. With a 92-66 win at Penn State Harrisburg, the Captains improved to 20-5 overall, 11-3 in conference play and secured the league's top seed in next week's postseason tournament. 

Senior Jessica Daguilh led the way with 20 points and 8 rebounds on 6-of-8 shooting while senior Zhara Tannor added 13 points and 4 steals on 6-of-10 shooting. The Captains earned the program's second CAC regular season title while securing the program's 20th 20-win season. It is the fourth straight year and sixth time in seven years the CNU women's basketball team has won at least 20 games in a season. 

Playing in front of a big crowd on Senior Day at the Capital Union Building in Pennsylvania, the Captains endured an early run by the home team as the Lions rushed out to an 8-2 lead. Christopher Newport countered with 15 unanswered points to take a 17-8 advantage, but the first half continued to be a back-and-forth affair until about mid-way through the second quarter. The lead changed hands seven times and the game was tied three more times in the first 15 minutes of action, but the Captains pulled away at the end of the second quarter to take an 11-point lead at halftime. In the second half, CNU outscored Harrisburg 49-34 to extend the lead to as many as 33 in the runaway victory. 

The balanced offense for the Captains was key in the first half, along with the suffocating defensive effort on the other end of the floor. Kiana Kirkland led the Captains with eight points in the opening quarter while Sondra Fan added five and Tannor and Daguilh chipped in four points apiece. In the second stanza, Daguilh's six points led the way while fellow seniors Tannor and Madison Howdyshell each added four points. 

CNU shot 52.9% in the second quarter, knocking down 9-17 shots from the floor while the Lions managed just three made field goals. The Captains defense held the home team to just 23.1% shooting and 11 points in the second stanza as CNU jumped out to a 43-32 advantage at the break. 

As the Captains pulled away in the second half, contributions came from all over offensively. Joining the aforementioned Daguilh and Tannor, four more Captains finished in double figures. Kirkland had 11 and Fan added 10 while rookies Marlise Brunson and Jessica Foster poured in 11 more for CNU. 

Penn State Harrisburg was led by senior Shanique Mattis with 15 points and 6 rebounds while Kendis added 14 points off the bench. 

With the win, Christopher Newport earned the top seed in next week's CAC Tournament and will open postseason play at home against No. 8 seed St. Mary's (Md.) at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, February 19. The game will be played as part of a postseason doubleheader with the men's team at the Freeman Center. Live stats and video will be available at CNUsports.com.