NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – With the top seed in the Capital Athletic Conference tournament on the line heading into Saturday's regular-season finale, the Marymount (Va.) University proved to be the better squad, snapping No. 17 Christopher Newport University's 17-game win streak with a 52-46 victory in the Freeman Center to be named regular season champions of the league. 

Senior Kievanna Lacey carried the Saints' offense with a game-high 23 points, including 12-for-14 shooting from the free-throw line. Sophomore Nicole Viscuso also chipped in double figures with 13, while registering a game-high seven rebounds, a game-high three blocks and three steals. 

Even more impressive was the defense by Marymount, forcing 22 Captain turnovers including 12 steals. Entering into today's game, the Saints ranked fourth in the country in scoring defense, allowing just 45.9 points per game by their opponents. Saturday was no different, holding the Captains to just 46 points and 38.1-percent shooting. 

The matchup was a battle as expected, seeing seven lead changes and seven ties through the opening quarter and a half before the Saints took over the advantage for the remainder of the game. 

Marymount trailed early in the contest before claiming a 6-5 advantage off a Viscuso jumper to give the Saints their first lead of the game. Two three-point plays followed in the closing minutes of the first quarter, an and-one finish by senior Miranda Krott and a long ball by senior Aileen Maknati, to seal up a 12-9 lead headed into the second 10-minute stretch. 

The Captains eventually reclaimed the advantage late in the second quarter, but it wasn't more than two points. By the 2:32 mark, Viscuso was sent to the line, dropping in both free throws, to tie the game up 24-24 before sophomore Leah Hurst knocked in a free throw of her own to give the Saints back the lead that they wouldn't surrender for the remainder of the game. 

Taking a 29-25 lead into the half, MU kicked off the third quarter with four-straight points to push its largest lead of the game. Viscuso finished inside for a layup before Lacey followed up with a steal and lay-in of her own to give the Saints a 33-25 advantage. 

By the midway mark of the final quarter, CNU inched its way back into contention with two free throws to draw the score even at 41-41. But Lacey didn't hesitate to answer on the other end, hitting her lone three-pointer of the contest off a dish by Krott before Viscuso added a jumper to push the lead back to five, 46-41. 

In the closing five minutes, Lacey dropped in the Saints' final six points to seal up the 52-46 victory. 

With the victory, the women seal up the top spot in the CAC tournament, earn a first-round bye and the right to host throughout. The Saints will now await the winner of one of Tuesday's first-round matchups between fourth-seeded York College of Pennsylvania and fifth-seeded Salisbury University; Marymount swept both squads in their two meetings in the regular season. The semifinal tilt will take place on Thursday, February 25 in the Verizon Sports Arena on Marymount's campus. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.