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FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- With her last bucket of the first half, senior Nicole Mitchell became the 25th player in program history to score 1,000 points, helping lead the 19th-ranked Captains to their seventh straight victory. Christopher Newport (12-2, 5-1) raced past perennial Capital Athletic Conference championship contender Mary Washington (9-5, 3-4) on the road,  64-43. Mitchell went on to score 14 points, moving up to 22nd all-time at CNU. 

The Wednesday evening matchup was billed as a top defensive showdown between two of the league's top lock-down squads. In the last two matchups, the team's played to a 51-40 CNU victory last year and a 52-48 Mary Washington win the year before. Instead, the Captains raced out to a big lead early and held on for a 21-point win on the road. 

At halftime, CNU had doubled up Mary Washington, 30-15, powered by the advertised strong defense. The Captains scored 11 of their 30 first-half points off of turnovers, forcing Mary Washington into 13 giveaways. The suffocating full-court defense led to six steals by five different players. 

Powered by seven points from the sophomore class, the Captains raced out to an early 9-2 lead in the first four minutes of the game. Mary Washington scored four straight to pull back within three, 9-6, but would never get closer the rest of the game. Another quick 9-2 spurt had the Captains ahead by ten, 18-8, after a steal by Kendra Stone and fast-break layup from Brandi Holland. Holland, Stone and Jordan Miller, all second-year players, combined for 13 of the first 18 points in the game.

The CNU defense would hold the Eagles to just seven made baskets in the opening stanza, shooting 25.9% on 27 attempts. In the final minute of the half, Mitchell would get the ball on the low block, spin and fade-away from five feet for a signature bucket in the lane. Her third basket of the half gave her an even 1,000 points for her career heading into the locker room. A large CNU contingent in the estimated crowd of 1,000 stood and cheered, sporting a host of signs noting the accomplishment for the senior before the halftime buzzer sounded. 

In the second half, Christopher Newport continued to pressure Mary Washington into tight situations, forcing another ten turnovers for 21 in the game. The Eagles managed to shoot just 30.6% from the field, knocking down 19-of-62 shots. 

Offensively, Mitchell continued to surge, hitting her first three baskets of the second half and added to the CNU lead. Fellow senior Tia Perry ended the night leading all scorers with 15 points, while Holland added 13 off the bench. Perry added nine rebounds, falling just shy of a double-double, while Mitchell's 14 points came on an efficient 7-of-11 shooting. Junior Camry Green also had the best game since returning from an injury, scoring seven points and adding eight rebounds. 

Aubrey Howland scored 15 points for Mary Washington, while senior Sam Partonen nearly had a double-double with eight points and nine rebounds. 

With the win, the stage is now set for a big-time matchup with Marymount University this Saturday, January 18 at the Freeman Center. The Captains, who defeated the Saints twice last season, will take on the new conference rival at 2:00 pm, in a battle for second place in the standings. Marymount is also off to a 5-1 start in the CAC, while posting a 9-5 overall mark.