NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Taking on Marymount University in exhibition play at the Freeman Center on Monday night, the Christopher Newport women's basketball team came away with an 82-77 victory. Led by a juniors Natalie Terwilliger and Sondra Fan, the Captains overcame a slow start to edge out the Saints in an exciting matchup that featured 15 lead changes and six ties. 

Terwilliger narrowly missed a double-double with 18 points and 9 rebounds while also adding a stellar night defensively with three blocks and two steals. Fan added 16 points, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals while also recording a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. Both players were among a group of six Captains with multiple steals on the night and 11 players registered at least one theft. 

The strong defense forced 30 turnovers and registered 19 steals. Meanwhile, after turning the ball over five times in the first quarter, the Captains gave the ball back only eight more times in the game for 13 total turnovers. Christopher Newport gave up a 10-0 run to start the game and trailed Marymount by ten points after the opening stanza, 22-12. Things turned around in the second quarter, when the Captains clawed back to take the lead on a pair of triples by Phylicia McInnis. 

Marymount regained control in the third quarter but the Captains answered at home, outscoring the Saints, 26-14, in the final ten minutes to hold off the visitors charge. After trailing by as many as seven with 8:30 remaining, back-to-back three-pointers from Sondra Fan shifted momentum in favor of the Captains. Rookie Alivia Giles finished off a nice feed from McInnis and CNU got key blocks on consecutive possessions from Julia Ng and Terwilliger. Terwilliger finished an old-fashioned three-point play to teeter the Captains in front, 70-68, and Christopher Newport took the lead for good on a tough finish by Fan with 2:48 remaining. 

Rookie Camille Malagar rounded out the double-figure scoring efforts for the Captains by scoring 12 off the bench. McInnis buried three from beyond the arc to close with nine points for the Captains. 

The Marymount squad was led by a game-high 18 points from Katie McShea, who also finished with nine rebounds. Taylor Love recorded 11 points off the bench for the visitors. 

Christopher Newport will return to action on Saturday, February 20 as the team travels to Salisbury University for the second half of a home-and-home exhibition slate against the Sea Gulls. Tip is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Maryland.