Game Notes

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- This weekend, the Freeman Center will play host to four women's basketball games this weekend as the top-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team welcomes the second annual C2C Classic. On Saturday, Mary Washington and UC Santa Cruz will match up at Noon followed by a 2:00 pm game between the Captains and Regent University. On Sunday, CNU and the Banana Slugs will play at the Noon tip, followed by a 2:00 pm pairing featuring Regent and Mary Washington. 

Christopher Newport enters the weekend with a 20-0 record after sweeping a four-game road trip; the Captains have logged the third longest winning streak in program history, starting the year with 20 straight victories. Regent enters the Saturday afternoon tilt with a 1-12 overall record. It will be the first time the two program have faced. 

In the first game on Saturday, Mary Washington (17-3) and UC Santa Cruz (15-4) will pair off in a game with postseason implications. The Coast-To-Coast Athletic Conference Tournament seeding is determined by the Massey Ratings, which currently lists the Banana Slugs at No. 40 in the nation and Mary Washington at No. 44. The head-to-head bout, along with the Captains scheduled battle with the UC Santa Cruz and the season finale against the Eagles, will all go a long way to determine the C2C Tournament schedule. 

All four games will be available in a live video webstream and live statistics will also be presented by CNU Athletics. Links can be found on the women's basketball schedule online at CNUsports.com. 

The Captains will look to extend the second longest home winning streak in program history, carrying a run of 35 straight victories in the Freeman Center into Saturday's game. Leading the way is senior forward Anaya Simmons, averaging over 14 points per game while leading the nation in field-goal percentage. Simmons has knocked down over 65 percent of her shots this season after leading NCAA Division III as a junior with a 64.1 percent mark. 

The C2C Classic will feature the top three scoring defenses in the conference as CNU, Mary Washington, and UC Santa Cruz are all holding opponents to under 54 points per game. The Captains rank 29th nationally in scoring defense while also ranking second in the country in scoring offense, pouring in 89.2 points per game. 

Regent comes into the game after dropping three in a row. The Royals have been led by sophomore guard Desiree Cross, scoring 14.4 points per game while junior Kaila Murrell has also chipped in over 14 points per game. 

Mary Washington is led by junior Jordan Carpenter, ranking sixth nationally in field-goal percentage (.620) while scoring 14.2 points and grabbing 7.9 rebounds per game. The Eagles have won three in a row and seven of their last eight. 

Santa Cruz is receiving votes in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll and has won five in a row this season. The Banana Slugs are 15-4 and feature one of the top rebounding teams in the conference, ranking 39th in the country in rebounding margin this season. UC Santa Cruz is led by all-time leading scorer Ashley Kowack, with 16.3 points per game. 

Following the weekend's tournament, the Captains will return to action next Saturday, February 11 at Salisbury University.