WBB Falls to #1 Christopher Newport in NCAA First Round
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Mitchell (12-14,2-4 NECC) | 13 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 42 |
|
Chris. Newport (25-0,3-0 CAC) | 13 | 23 | 30 | 23 | 89 |
BALTIMORE – Top-ranked Christopher Newport University came alive in the second half and handed Mitchell College an 89-42 loss in the opening round of the 2022 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship on Friday evening at Johns Hopkins University's Goldfarb Gym.
The Mariners hung tough in the first half against an opponent that entered the tournament with 41 straight wins, the longest active streak in college basketball. The score was tied at 13-13 after the opening quarter, and Mitchell trailed just 36-25 at the break.
The Captains hit their stride in the third quarter, outscoring the Mariners 30-7 to seize control. CNU continued to pour it on in the fourth and led by as many as 48 in the contest.
Seniors Amina Wiley and Le'Sandra Turner capped their illustrious careers with 13 points apiece. Wiley also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds.
Sondra Fan paced CNU with a game-high 19 points while Katy Rader came off the bench to contribute 15. The Captains had 13 players find the scoring column and held a 48-3 advantage in bench scoring.
The first quarter featured four ties and two lead changes as the teams worked out some early jitters. Wiley and Turner combined for 11 points as the Mariners hung close.
CNU went up by six in the early stages of the second period, but the Mariners rallied back and tied the game at 23-23 on a bucket by Turner with 4:23 to play. Turner finished with eight points in the quarter and had 13 at the break.
The Captains pulled away in the final 4:02 of the half, closing on a 13-2 run to lead by 11 at the break. Fan netted 13 points in the stanza, but CNU shot just 35 percent as a team.
CNU opened the second half with 13 straight points to extend its lead to 49-25. The Mariners went ice cold on the offensive end, missing seven shots to start the half and turning the ball over seven times in the period. Dede Stevenson accounted for Mitchell's only two field goals of the quarter, and the Mariners trailed 66-32 heading into the final 10 minutes.
The Captains shot 42 percent for the game and hit 10 three-pointers. CNU also held a 53-35 edge on the glass and forced Mitchell into 34 turnovers.
Mitchell wraps up the season with an overall record of 12-14. The Mariners captured their first New England Collegiate Conference title and made their NCAA debut under fifth-year head coach Courtney Burns.
