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ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. -- The Christopher Newport women's basketball team won its fourth straight game to start the season with an 80-43 victory over the host N.C. Wesleyan College Battling Bishops on Sunday, in the Jean Edge Classic finale. The Captains (4-0) shot 51.1% from the field and forced 40 turnovers to hand the Bishops (2-1) their first loss of the season. 

Sophomores Sam Porter and Anitra Thomas earned All-Tournament team honors following the win, after each posted double-figure scoring games on Sunday. Porter, who matched a career-high with eight steals on Saturday, followed up her impressive defensive game with a strong effort on the shooting end, going 3-for-3 from the field with a 6-for-9 effort from the free-throw line. Thomas, who was perfect from the field on Saturday, added 11 points on Sunday with four steals. 

CNU also got double figures and a near double-double from newcomer Jasmine Bonivel. The sophomore transfer was just one rebound shy of a double-double, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds while going 4-for-6 from the field. She added three steals and an assist in her finest performance of the season so far. She led the team in minutes in the second game of the year that saw 15 different players end up in the scoring column. 

The blowout was anything but in the first quarter, when the Battling Bishops opened up the game with an 11-3 run to take an eight-point lead. Following a timeout by head coach Bill Broderick, CNU rallied, primarily from the charity stripe. Drawing foul after foul, the Captains chipped away from the line, finishing the first quarter making 13 straight free-throws to take a four-point lead with 10 seconds remaining, 20-16. The Bishops got a three-pointer from Kenyata Harris in the final moment to close the gap back to one, 20-19, but the momentum was clearly shifting in favor of the Captains. 

On the very first possession of the second quarter, Thomas ripped the ball from Shekinah Huggins and raced to the basket for a fast-break layup. Porter connected after a steal by Makenzie Fancher and following a free-throw by Bailey Dufrene, Thomas knocked down a three-pointer to give the Captains a 28-19 lead halfway through the period. The Captains held off a run by N.C. Wesleyan and built a 12-point halftime lead, 38-26, capped by another fast-break layup from Fancher and a short jumper by Bonivel in the final minute. 

The second half saw the Captains methodically extend their lead, especially in the fourth quarter when CNU outscored the hosts by a dominating 24-6 margin. The reserves took over for Broderick and finished with 47 points. CNU also used 40 N.C. Wesleyan miscues to their advantage, scoring 35 points off of turnovers. 

As a team, the Captains were scalding from the field in the second half, knocking down two-thirds of their shots and raising the overall shooting percentage for the game to 51.1% (24-47). CNU took just five three-point attempts in the game, burying a pair. At the free-throw line, the Captains shot 69.7% on 43 attempts, knocking down 30 shots. 

N.C. Wesleyan was held to just 15-of-55 from the field for 27.3%, as CNU held their second straight opponent to a sub-30% shooting percentage. Harris led the way for the Bishops, scoring 11 points with two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Timyra Staton added seven points and six rebounds in the setback. 

Harris joined Porter and Thomas on the All-Tournament Team, along with the Bishops' Cheria Turrentine, Ferrum's Zarkia Mattox and Virginia Wesleyan's Jayla Harris.

The Captains will return to the floor in one week, facing their first test in conference action. CNU will host Frostburg State (1-3) in the Capital Athletic Conference opener on Sunday, November 29 with a 1:00 pm tip scheduled at the Freeman Center.