NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Behind the second career double-double for senior Hannah Orloff, the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team stormed back in the second half to erase an eight-point first half deficit and capture a 71-64 win at home on Friday evening, defeating the Stevenson University Mustangs (5-6) in the first game of 2025. The Captains improved to 13-1 while extending a 48-game regular season home winning streak in the come-from-behind effort that included a 23-8 win of the third quarter by the home team.

Orloff snagged a career-high 15 rebounds including an impressive 10 on the offensive glass in the win on Friday. She paired that number with a season-high 16 points, falling just one shy of her previous best to help lead a frenetic third quarter rally. CNU turned a 41-34 halftime deficit into a seven-point advantage, 50-43, in just six minutes at the start of the third quarter by scoring 16 of the first 18 points in the period. 

Falling behind by as many as eight points is a rare sight for Freeman Center fans as no current player had ever faced as large a deficit in their careers. The last time CNU faced an eight-point mountain to climb was when current assistant coach Katy Rader was a freshman in the 2019-20 season. A stretch 43 consecutive games have passed since the Captains last trailed by eight at home, when Mary Washington led by nine, 18-9, in the opening quarter on February 1, 2020; CNU went on to win that game, 72-52. 

Unfazed, the current version of the lineup came out of the locker room in a firestorm, forcing turnovers and turning in quick buckets in transition to flip the scoreboard for the home team. 

Senior Alexia Lindsey started things with an acrobatic finish on the drive to the paint in the first possession of the third quarter and Orloff hauled in one of her ten offensive boards for a stick-back a minute later. Then, rookie Emma O'Connor headlined a highlight reel of defensive fireworks with a steal and pass ahead for a fast-break layup by Hailey Kellogg and the latter returned the favor with a steal seconds later. O'Connor finished off a feed by Caitlin Crump to force a timeout by Stevenson. Out of the break, Orloff kept the defensive standard with a rejection on a layup attempt by Kalea Wynter and O'Connor added another layup off a dish from Orloff to give the Captains the lead, 44-43.

O'Connor would add yet another steal and Orloff another block on the next two possessions by the Mustangs. Then, it was Elizabeth Creed's turn to show out on the offensive end with back-to-back layups to extend the run. The first came on a nice post move that ended with a reverse layup that went straight down, barely disturbing the twine, and the second was on a determined drive from half court as the sophomore cruised all the way to the baseline and around before sinking the second shot. 

The run would finish when Caitlin Crump connected on an inbounds play from Mia Wilson to give the Captains a 50-43 lead with 4:04 remaining and closed out a 14-0 roll that put the home team back in control. The teams traded baskets for the remainder of the third period and CNU carried an eight-point lead into the final ten minutes, 57-49. 

In the fourth, the lead would grow to nine on two occasions whn Orloff made it 61-52 with another offensive rebound and putback with 6:16 remaining, and again moments later when Mia Wilson answered a three-pointer to put the Captains ahead 64-55. The largest lead of the game for either team came on the very next possession for CNU as Sydney Sherman snared an offensive board and spun the ball around to Crump on the outside. An extra pass to Wilson gave the sophomore shooter ample time to sink another triple and put the Captains up by double digits, 67-57. 

A 7-0 spurt by the Mustangs closed the gap to three on a traditional three-point play by Nadia Ferguson, but the Captains were stout on the offensive glass in the final two minutes to limit Stevenson opportunities. After a missed three-pointer, Orloff hauled in another O-board and then picked up another on her own miss a few seconds later. On the next trip down the floor and into the final minute of regulation, Lindsey snagged a key carom that forced the visitors to foul. She then connected on both free-throws to give CNU a five-point lead, 69-64. After Stevenson missed for three, Orloff's 14th rebound led to another trip to the line, where Wilson calmly sank both for the final margin, 71-64. 

The win improved Christopher Newport to 13-1 on the season but would not come easily as Stevenson came out of the gate red hot from the field. The visitors knocked down 11 of 20 from the floor (.550) in the first quarter and shared the ball well with 10 assists on those 11 field goals. The Captains managed to keep pace in the opening quarter, trailing just 27-25 after ten minutes, but a cold streak in the second quarter allowed the Mustangs to open up a 41-33 lead with 36 seconds remaining before Kellogg trimmed it by one headed into the locker room with a free-throw. 

Orloff's career night included 16 points, 15 rebounds, three blocked shots, and a steal in 23 minutes played. She is the first player to reach 15 boards since Anaya Simmons hauled in 17 caroms at Greensboro on December 3, 2022. Her three blocks also moves her into a tie with Hall of Famer Tia Johnson with 112 career swats.Lindsey finished the game with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and three steals while Creed was also in double figures with 10 points. CNU secured 47 rebounds in the game including 23 on the offensive glass, leading to 15 second-chance points. 

Christopher Newport will next host Haverford College (6-5) coming off a 64-56 win against Penn State-Abington on Friday. The Captains take on the Fords at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 5 at the Freeman Center.