FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- The Christopher Newport women's basketball team held the University of Mary Washington to just 28.6 percent shooting (16-56) on their home floor while improving to 15-0 on the season with a 69-49 win on Wednesday night. The Captains were led by senior forward
Anaya Simmons with her sixth double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the victory.
The Captains handed the Eagles just their third loss of the season, falling to 14-3 on the year.
In the opening moments, Mary Washington snapped a game-opening three-pointer, but the Captains quickly answered with a layup by Simmons, quick turnover, and a go-ahead jumper from sophomore
Hannah Kaloi. After taking the early 4-3 lead, the Captains would not trail again in the game.
The Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference rivals would go back-and-forth through the middle portion of the first quarter before sophomore
Hannah Orloff took over in the paint defensively. With the score tied, 7-7, Orloff keyed a 9-0 run with a layup and three blocked shots as Christopher Newport took a 16-7 advantage with under two minutes to go in the first quarter.
Simmons led the way in the second quarter as Christopher Newport built the lead into double figures. The Captains' senior scored eight of her 18 points while hauling in five rebounds in the second stanza, with a perfect 3-for-3 from the floor. Senior guard
Lauren Fortescue was 2-for-3 with a three-pointer that gave the Captains a 17-point first-half lead, 35-18, with just under three minutes to go.
At the intermission, CNU had built a 14-point lead, 37-23, before the home team started the second half on an 8-0 run to pull back within six, 37-31. After a timeout called by head coach
Bill Broderick, the Captains went on a resurgent run, 10-0, to re-take a 16-point lead, 47-31, and deny the Eagles any thought of a comeback. Simmons and Orloff again led the burst, combining for eight of those ten points.
The lead would build to as many as 26 in the fourth quarter when
Alivia Giles dropped in a layup off a feed from
Katy Rader. The Captains closed out the game with a 20-point victory, picking up the eighth straight win over the conference foe.
CNU got double figures from three players as Simmons was joined by Orloff and Fortescue, with 11 points each.
Sondra Fan finished just shy, with nine points, while a trio of Captains poured in six points apiece from Kaloi,
Hailey Kellogg, and Giles. The Captains defense snagged 13 steals, led by five from Rader, and three by Orloff.
Hannah Orloff finished the game 4-for-5 from the field with 11 points, 8 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 3 steals with a career-best performance on the road.
Christopher Newport will return home this Saturday, January 14 as they host Salisbury University at 2:00 p.m.