NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Franklin & Marshall women's basketball team battled a nationally-ranked Christopher Newport side to a 77-61 defeat on Sunday afternoon. The Diplomats (3-3) kept pace with the undefeated Captains (7-0) for much of the afternoon, but were undone by a 26-15 second quarter from the hosts. CNU entered today's game ranked seventh in the WBCA Top 25 Poll and No. 20 in the D3Hoops.com national rankings.

Kenna Williams led F&M's efforts with a double-double as she scored 16 points and pulled down 17 rebounds. In addition to another outstanding day on the boards, Williams was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line. That mark set a new school record for the most free throws made in a game without a miss, eclipsing the previous record of nine set by Donna Egbert during the 1978 season. Williams has now posted three straight double-doubles. Maia Lockhart joined her teammate in double figures with 11 points, while Makenzie Bradley (9 pts.), Alisyn Narracci (8 pts.), and Jaclyn Feit (7 pts.) also had strong days offensively.

As a team, the Diplomats held a 41-32 advantage in rebounding, but were hindered by the high pressure defense from the Captains that forced 26 turnovers, 15 of which came off of steals. F&M was certainly ready to play from the opening whistle as the teams were tied on three occasions during the opening 10 minutes. D'Naisha Bellamy-Greene gave F&M the lead for an extended time during the end of the quarter with her layup in the paint to set the score at 12-10 with 3:40 remaining. The Diplomats continued to find success early in the paint as Narracci and Feit converted layups on successive possessions to extend the lead. Feit's basket came as part of an old-fashioned three-point play to push the lead to 17-13. The sophomore would later convert another and-one situation late in the first quarter to give F&M a 20-19 lead before CNU took control during the second quarter.

Despite going into the locker room trailing 48-35, the Diplomats did not go away quietly as they battled the Captains to a 29-26 score over the final 20 minutes of regulation. Lockhart scored five of the team's 10 points during a highly-defensive third quarter before Williams reached her double-double with eight points in addition to five more rebounds over the last 10 minutes.

Women's basketball will close out its fall semester competition schedule this week with a trio of Centennial Conference matchups. The Diplomats travel to Dickinson (6 p.m.) and Bryn Mawr (7 p.m.) this Tuesday and Thursday before wrapping up the 2021 portion of the schedule at home against Haverford on Saturday. That home game inside the Mayser Center is scheduled for a 1 p.m. tip. Both the contests with the Red Devils and Fords will be part of doubleheaders with the men's team to follow. Those games will be the final action before a holiday break that goes until January 2021 when the team returns to the court against nationally-ranked Messiah.