NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Virginia Wesleyan College's women's basketball team opened the 2013 portion of the current schedule with a cold shooting effort that led to a non-conference loss to Cortland State University.

The Marlins opened the 2014 portion of the schedule on Tuesday in similar fashion, hitting just 30% from the field en route to a 62-40 non-conference loss to the host Captains of Christopher Newport University.

VWC (8-3) bounced back from that Cortland game to win eight of its next nine outings entering the game at CNU.  A big difference in Tuesday's game however, was the absence of junior Andrea Paphites (Virginia Beach/Princess Anne), VWC's leader in several statistical areas, including scoring.  Paphites, injured in practice, was averaging 15.3 points per game.

Another difference was the inability to hit from long range.  The Marlins entered the game ranked No. 15 nationally in triples made, hitting for an average of 8.1 each outing.  At CNU (8-2), VWC put up 15 treys, but put through zero.  It marked the first time this season that the Marlins did not hit at least one triple.

With the outside game not cooperating, the Marlins turned inside in the first half and enjoyed some success, led by junior Nancy Kelly (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney).  She scored eight points and pulled down six rebounds in the half to help keep the Marlins in the game, trailing just 29-23 at halftime.

Shots refused to fall for VWC in the second half however, as the Marlins scored just six points in the first 10 minutes of the half.  CNU used a balanced offense to start to pull away and led 42-29 entering the final 10 minutes of the game.

VWC never recovered.

Kelly recorded her third double-double for the Marlin, and second in a row, scoring 10 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.  Junior Brittany Glasco (Fredericksburg/Massaponax)led VWC overall with 13 points.  Senior Katie Tassa (Bristow/Manassas Osbourn Park) and rookie Alexis Platt (Virginia Beach/Princess Anne) scored six points each.

A positive for VWC came in the defensive effort. The Marlins held CNU to its lowest offensive output of the season.  The Captains entered the game averaging 81.2 points per game, the 22nd best output in the nation.

CNU was led in scoring by seniors Tia Perry (Goldsboro, N.C./Tabb, Va.) and Nicole Mitchell (Falls Church/George Mason) with 18 and 12 points, respectively.  Mitchell led the Captains on the boards with nine rebounds.

Virginia Wesleyan will attempt to notch its first win of 2014 on Saturday, Jan. 4, in the Marlins' final non-conference game of the regular season.  VWC will host the Shorewomen of Maryland's Washington College at the Jane P. Batten Student Center. 

--AMDG--