LEXINGTON, Va. -- Taking on the champions of the Centennial Conference in the opening round of the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship, the 14th-ranked Christopher Newport Captains (24-4) captured a 74-62 win over Gettysburg College (21-7). The Captains outscored the Bullets in the second half 45-30, including a pivotal fourth quarter run for the first round victory. Saturday, CNU will take on either host Washington and Lee University or St. Mary's College of Maryland, who face off in the other first round matchup in Lexington on Friday. 

The Captains knocked down eight three-pointers in the game, including a career-high four by sophomore Sarah Pritz and three by Mia Wilson. Wilson hit a back-breaking three-pointer to put the Captains up by 11 with under seven minutes to play, 62-51. It was her third triple of the game as she helped lead a dominant second-half performance for the Captains. CNU was 11-for-18 from the floor at that point in the second half, shooting over 61 percent as they pulled away. 

Five CNU players finished in double figures with Wilson pouring in a game-high 17 points. Madison McKenzie added 16 points while Pritz added 13 and the CNU senior tandem, McKenna Snively and Hailey Kellogg, each added 10. In addition to the three-point shooting, the Captains had an impressive day at the charity stripe, knocking down 16-of-19 attempts from the line for 84 percent. 

Gettysburg held a 32-29 lead at halftime after outscoring the Captains, 19-9, in the second quarter. The Bullets flipped the score after CNU jumped out to a 20-13 lead behind impressive three-point shooting in the opening quarter. The Captains knocked down 5-of-6 from long range including back-to-back treys by Pritz to kickstart the offense. Wilson then connected to cap a 9-0 run, giving the Captains an 11-4 lead, and a few minutes later, Pritz nailed her third triple of the period to give the Captains a ten-point lead, 17-7. The three-point barrage was finished out when McKenna Snively hammered home a three with 2:11 remaining off a feed by Elizabeth Creed to make it 20-12. 

The Bullets outscored the Captains by ten in the second to retake the lead at the break, but the lead teetered back in favor of CNU with the first seven points of the third quarter. Hailey Kellogg and Madison McKenzie scored early and then the defenses locked in for three minutes of scoreless basketball before Wilson hit another three-pointer. 

Gettysburg continued to battle as the Captains attempted to stretch the lead. The back-and-forth affair was tied up at 45-all when CNU made its move. Despite only outscoring the Bullets, 6-4, in the final stages of the third quarter, it was the fourth where the Captains extended the advantage. 

Continuing her standout performance with a fourth three-pointer to open up the final frame, Pritz sparked an 11-2 run that ended with Wilson's splashdown from the right wing. The lead grew to as many as 13 and Gettysburg would get no closer than nine as Christopher Newport held off the late comeback bid. 

The Captains defense held Gettysburg to 36.1 percent from the floor (22-61) and forced 19 turnovers. Snively led the way with three steals as six CNU players registered at least one theft in the game. 

Christopher Newport picked up a win in the NCAA Tournament for the eleventh time in 12 all-time postseason appearances under head coach Bill Broderick. CNU is now 26-10 all-time in the NCAA Tournament since Broderick took the reins in 2012-13. Christopher Newport is now 5-0 all-time against Gettysburg College and 2-0 versus the Bullets in postseason play.