NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Coming off their first loss of the season, the 16th-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team will face one of its toughest tasks this year as they round out their nine-game road trip.  The weekend will feature a pair of games against the top two teams in the USA South, as the Captains (13-1, 6-1) will take on No. 21 Ferrum (12-1, 6-1) and Maryville (13-1, 7-0). 

CNU, fresh off a one-point setback at N.C. Wesleyan, will travel into Ferrum on Saturday, January 19 for a 2:00 pm tipoff against a Panthers squad also coming off their first loss of the year. Both losses came on Wednesday night, as the Captains dropped a 69-68 decision while FC fell to Maryville, 79-70. 

Both battles this weekend will pit one of the nation's top offenses against one of the best defenses. Ferrum leads the nation in team field goal percentage (.487), ranks third in the nation in scoring offense, pouring in 84.0 points per game, and 19th in the country in scoring margin, outscoring opponents by a dominant 18.5 points per contest. On Sunday, Maryville doesn't drop off much and will provide another stiff test as the Scots rank third in FG% (.463), 23rd nationally in scoring (73.2 ppg) and 24th in scoring margin (+17.6).

The Captains will counter with a stingy defense that has allowed only three teams to score more than 55 points in a game so far this season. CNU ranks 16th in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 47.9 points per contest, and 13th in field goal percentage defense, allowing just 31.2% of shots to go down. The Captains also rank fifth nationally in three-point defense, holding opponents to just 20.9% from long range. That will be especially key against Maryville, who ranks second in the nation in 3-point shooting.

Tia Perry and Camry Green lead the CNU offense, averaging in double figure scoring this season. Perry is scoring a team-high 14.7 points per game, while Green is just shy of averaging a double-double, with 10.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. 

Ferrum's potent attack sees four different players average double figures, led by Jacole Hairston with 15.3 points per game. Senior Tesla Akers (13.8 ppg), Katy Kipps (11.7 ppg) and Shea Smith (10.1 ppg) are the others, while Kyle Culler (9.8 ppg) is just outside of the mark. The Panthers won the USA South Tournament last season under head coach Bryan Harvey, unseating the Captains as the three-time conference champs. 

Maryville, in their first year in the USA South, is off to a fine start. The Fighting Scots have won 13 of their first 14 games and are receiving votes in the national rankings; the Scots picked up a big win on Wednesday when they dropped Ferrum, 79-70, at home. Over the last four years, Maryville has averaged over 20 wins per season. This year, three Scots have led the way, as senior sharpshooter Janell Menard is averaging 15.1 points per game and over two made three-pointers per contest. Two of her senior classmates, Tayler Smith (11.1 ppg) and Kiera Payne (10.6 ppg) are also in double figures, while rookie Mackenzie Puckett is making a run at Rookie of the Year honors, averaging 9.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.

Tip is set for 2:00 pm on both Saturday and Sunday with live stats and live video available at CNUsports.com. The road trip will complete an arduous month-long, nine-game swing away from home for the Captains. CNU has gone 6-1 on the trip, which dates back to December 17. Seven of the nine games are USA South contests and heading into the weekend, CNU has gone 4-1 against the league in the trip.