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BUENA VISTA, Va. -- With a 72-52 win on the road against Southern Virginia (4-13, 2-9) and a Wesley victory over Marymount, the Captains moved back into a tie with the Saints for third place in the Capital Athletic Conference standings.  With just seven games left in the regular season, CNU improves to 12-6 overall with an 8-3 mark in conference play. 

Christopher Newport saw six different players score eight points or more in the gritty victory, as the Captains were forced to grind out the 20-point victory. Both teams struggled with turnovers, but CNU never relinquished an early lead over the Knights. 

The Captains went right at the basket in the early going, racing out to a 10-0 advantage in the first 4:03 of game time. Jalynn Ponzo converted a three-point play while Camry Green and Lauren Cox also dropped in shots in the early surge. 

Rookie Makeda Wright would give CNU a 13-point edge, 22-9, with a three-pointer from the corner with 8:03 remaining in the first half as the Captains continued to take advantage of Southern Virginia turnovers. The Knights had 20 first-half giveaways, leading to 19 points off turnovers for the Captains. In fact, CNU scored as many points off turnovers in the first half as the Knights managed to score altogether. The Captains carried a 31-19 advantage into the locker room despite shooting just 34.4% (11-32) with 10 turnovers of their own. 

Green was held to just three points in the first half, but responded in the second half with a big performance to help CNU distance themselves from the home team. She scored on two of the first three possessions of the half to give CNU a 17-point edge, 38-21, and went on to score ten second half points.

fter Southern Virginia scored six of the next eight points, the lead was cut to 13 at 40-27, with 16:08 remaining, but the Captains put the game away in the middle portion of the half. The lead would grow to over 20 with six minutes remaining, and to a game-high 24 with three minutes left, allowing the Captains to coast to a key conference road win.

Green's strong second half gave her a game-high 13 points with six rebounds and two blocked shots. Off the bench, Devon Byrd and Sam Porter each chipped in nine points, while Byrd added a game-high five steals. Ponzo and Cox each poured in eight points as CNU finished the game shooting 39.7% (25-63) from the field. 

Jamilla Gambee had a team-high 12 points for the Knights, including 10 points in the first half. She was joined in double figures by Larissa Conger's ten points, while Marissa Belliston finished with eight points, eight rebounds and five assists. 

Defensively, CNU forced 32 Southern Virginia turnovers, scoring 29 points off of the take-aways. Byrd's five steals led the way for a team effort that included 18, as Jordan Miller and Porter each had three steals as well. 

The Captains will now look ahead to a difficult stretch on the schedule that begins Saturday, January 31 at York College (Pa.) (8-10, 4-7). The Spartans are coming off a win over Penn State Harrisburg and are currently in a tie for sixth place in the league standings. Tip is scheduled for 1:00 pm with live stats and video available at CNUsports.com.