NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport defense shined in a dominant opening quarter and carried that momentum throughout the rest of the game as the Captains earned a pivotal Capital Athletic Conference victory at home over Southern Virginia University (13-4, 1-1) by a final score of 66-50. The Captains improved to 13-4 overall and 2-0 to start league play behind timely shots and a suffocating defensive effort that saw the team snare 22 steals.

Sophomores Natalie Terwilliger, Sondra Fan, and Julia Hobbs led the way for the Captains while rookie Anaya Simmons also had a stellar first showing against the Knights. Terwilliger finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds while Fan scored 9 of her 11 points in the opening stanza to help Christopher Newport build a big lead. Hobbs keyed big moments with several impactful buckets and finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds while Simmons added 10 points and 7 rebounds off the bench.

In the game, the Captains surrendered the first points-rebounds-blocks triple-double of the season in Division III, but would only allow a season-low 50 points and forced 31 turnovers in the win. Junior Katie Garrish was responsible for the triple-double, scoring 13 points while grabbing 11 rebounds and adding 10 blocked shots. Southern Virginia struggles to hold onto the basketball were especially evident in the first ten minutes as the Knights committed 13 turnovers in the opening quarter. 

The game tilted heavily in favor of the home team after the suffocating pressure and strong start offensively led Christopher Newport to a 9-0 run to open the game. After a short surge by the Knights made the score 9-6 with just under six minutes remaining, it was all Captains for the remainder of the period, outscoring SVU 15-0 to take a hefty 21-6 lead. Jessica Foster kicked off the big run with a deep three-pointer on an assist by Fan after a steal in the open court. Phylicia McInnis also grabbed a steal and found Jasmine Norman in the paint for a bucket in the run. Simmons, rookie Sawyer Freeland, and Fan all added baskets in the burst to dominate the offensive end and six different players logged steals on the defensive end. 

A slow start to the second quarter allowed Southern Virginia to claw back to within 11 with 6:22 remaining on a jumper by Angel Tuisavura, 25-14, which is where the score would stand heading into the second quarter media timeout. Out of the break, the Captains designed a play for McInnis to shoot a three and the second-year guard buried her attempt from the left wing to stymie the Knights run. Simmons then tacked on a traditional three-point play and the Captains defense picked up steals in five of Southern Virginia's last eight possessions to keep the visiting team at arms length heading into the half up 36-21. 

Christopher Newport would then win the third quarter and extend the lead to a game-high 23 points on a jumper by Jasmine Norman with 2:09 left in the stanza. During the decisive third frame, Julia Hobbs came through with a momentum-shifting three-point play with just under six minutes remaining. The Knights had trimmed the lead back to 12, 41-29, when Hobbs snagged a big offensive rebound against Garrish, went up strong and finished against contact for the bucket and the foul. She converted the free-throw and the Captains would go on a 13-2 run to finish out the quarter and take command of the game. 

In the fourth quarter, the Captains never allowed Southern Virginia to attempt a comeback and held onto a 23-point edge with just over two minutes remaining. The Knights would score the final seven points for the final margin, 66-50. 

In addition to Garrish's performance, the Knights got a double-double from Tuisavura with 10 points and 10 rebounds while also committing nine turnovers. Savanna Christensen added a game-high 14 points for SVU while adding 4 rebounds and 5 steals. 

For the home team, Christopher Newport got multiple steals from six players and 11 different Captains logged at least one theft. Sondra Fan and Bailey Hodges led the effort with four apiece while McInnis also snagged three. Natalie Terwilliger and Julia Ng each added a pair of blocked shots and McInnis had one emphatic swat of as well. 

The Captains are on the road for three straight now, starting with a road trip to Mary Washington on Saturday, January 18 at 1:00 p.m. Following the bout with the Eagles, Christopher Newport will travel to Salisbury on January 25 and St. Mary's (Md.) on January 29. The next matchup in the Freeman Center will be against Mary Washington on Saturday, February 1 at 2:00 p.m.