SU roundup: Captains sweep Hornets in hoops

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NEWPORT NEWS -- Host Christopher Newport University kept its perfect USA South Conference men's basketball record intact Wednesday evening with a 77-58 victory over Shenandoah University.

Christopher Newport (13-3, 5-0 USA South) led for all but seven seconds over Shenandoah (4-14, 2-3) in the penultimate USA South Conference men's basketball matchup between the two schools.

After having played 56 lifetime meetings, the vast majority as conference foes, this conference series will cease to exist after this season as the Hornets join the ODAC for the 2012-13 season.

The Captains dominated throughout Wednesday's contest, outrebounding SU 54-26 and scoring 16 second-chance points to the Hornets' zero.

Christopher Newport first extended its lead into double digits on a Nik Biberaj jumper at 11:45 and took a 35-28 lead into the halftime locker room.

Shenandoah did cut the deficit to four points on two occasions late in the first half, the last with 5:58 to play, thanks to a 9-2 Hornets run from the 8:05 to 5:58 marks.

SU closed it to four points one more time, at 16:53 of the second, before the Captains went on a 12-4 tun to take a 49-35 lead with 12:35 remaining.

Shenandoah would get no closer than 13 points the rest of the way.

Avery Green and Bryce Mitchell led the Hornets with 14 points each, while Xavier Alston had 13 and James Bowens 10.

Conley Taylor had a game-high 20 for the victors.

SU travels to N.C. Wesleyan on Sunday for a 4 p.m. USA South Conference contest.

Christopher Newport 77, Shenandoah 53

NEWPORT NEWS -- Host Christopher Newport won its seventh straight game with a 77-53 USA South Conference women's basketball victory over Shenandoah on Wednesday evening.

The Captains (12-3, 7-1 USA South) jumped out to a 35-21 halftime lead and never looked back against Shenandoah (5-10, 2-6).

Christopher Newport led throughout the contest, scoring nine of the game's first 12 points, and pushed its lead into double digits for the first time by the 9:55 mark of the first.

The hosts kept their advantage at least 10 points the rest of the way, with SU cutting the deficit to 10 for the last time at the 1:57 mark of the first when Holly Chittenden hit 1 of 2 from the line.

Christopher Newport opened the second half with a 16-4 run and eventually led by 31 midway through the stanza.

Shenandoah scored 24 of the game's final 41 points to provide the final margin of victory for the Captains.

Senior Abby Gallagher led the Hornets with 11 points, while Chittenden added 10 and Nicole Gilbertson nine with four rebounds.

Tia Perry paced the victors with 14 points.

Christopher Newport won the battle of the glass, 43-25, and scored 14 second-chance points to the Hornets' 7.

The Captains also outscored SU 25-9 in points off turnovers.

Shenandoah is back in action on Saturday at 2 p.m. against Greensboro in a USA South Conference contest.

Hornets picked second in preseason poll

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. -- Shenandoah's baseball team is picked to finish second in the upcoming USA South Conference baseball race in poll results released Wednesday afternoon by the conference office.

The Hornets, who won the 2011 USA South Conference regular-season title, have 31 points and one first-place vote in the poll of the league's seven head baseball coaches.

Voting is done on a 6-1 basis and coaches cannot vote for their own team in the poll.

Christopher Newport, the tournament champion for last year, is the pick to win it all in 2012. CNU had 36 points and six first-place votes.

Shenandoah won 37 games, spent a month as the nation's No. 1 ranked team and appeared in its third straight South Region title game last season.

Coach Kevin Anderson welcomes back four position starters, as well as pre-season All-America selection Kyle Scallion this spring.

SU opens its 2012 season on Feb. 17 against No. 4 Cortland (N.Y.) State.