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ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Behind a career performance from sophomore Jasmine Bonivel, the 21st-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team advanced to the second round of the 2016 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship. The Captains (23-4) used a dominant second half to get past St. Joseph's College of Maine (23-6) in the first round on a neutral floor at Muhlenberg College, 65-47. 

Bonivel scored a career-high 20 points on 4-6 shooting from beyond the arc and an 8-of-9 effort from the free-throw line. She added five rebounds, one block and one steal in 21 minutes on the floor for the Captains. She was one of three players in double figures for CNU as Sam Porter added 17 and Devon Byrd also had 12 points for the Captains. 

CNU advances to play the host Muhlenberg Mules (25-2), who pulled away from St. John Fisher late in their first round matchup. The Mules are ranked 12th in the D3hoops.com Top 25 and 11th in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll; they won the Centennial Conference this season and have just two losses. 

The Captains and Monks were tied at 25-all headed into the locker room, as CNU struggled from the floor but managed to force 13 turnovers to keep things close over the first 20 minutes. Coming out of the intermission, however, Christopher Newport caught fire offensively and enlisted their usual stingy defense to pull away from St. Joseph's. 

After Kelsi McNamara hit a three-pointer just 1:15 into the third quarter, the CNU defense clamped down, not allowing another St. Joseph's point until the 2:39 mark when Morgan Cahill laid it up and in. The Monks would add a free-throw by Emily Quirion a minute later to finish the third quarter with just two made field goals and six total points. On the other end of the floor, the Captains finished the quarter in a flourish, scoring nine of the last ten points to take a 43-31 lead headed into the final stanza. It was newcomers abound in the run as rookies Zhara Tannor and Jessica Daguilh hooked up for a layup, followed by a layup by freshman Brooke Basinger. Then, on the Captains final possession of the quarter, Bonivel, a sophomore transfer from Mount Union, dropped in three free-throws as she was fouled. 

The Captains would grow the lead to as many as 20 twice halfway through the fourth quarter. First, on a layup by Porter to make it 55-35, and then again just over a minute later when Bonivel drilled a three-pointer to make it 58-38. 

With a big lead, Christopher Newport's defense was too much for the Monks, who managed just to go just 6-for-22 from the floor in the second half for a 27.3% shooting percentage. CNU's defense, ranked third nationally in steals per game, ripped off 15 thefts in the win, forcing 27 turnovers of the Great Northeast Athletic Conference champs.

St. Joseph's was led by senior center Morgan Cahill with 15 points on 7-11 shooting, while McNamara added nine points on 3-13 from the floor. 

Bonivel filled the stat sheet while Byrd and Porter each finished just shy of a double-double. Porter led the Captains with nine rebounds while Byrd grabbed eight, and the two also combined for six steals. Sophomore point guard Makenzie Fancher had a stellar performance facilitating for the Captains, dishing out six assists with five steals and five rebounds. 

The Captains advanced to the NCAA Second Round for the 10th time in program history, and third time in four years under head coach Bill Broderick. CNU will be looking for its sixth NCAA Sweet 16 appearance with a win over Muhlenberg, who the Captains will be facing for the first time in program history. 

Christopher Newport and Muhlenberg are set to do battle at 7:00 pm in Memorial Hall, with live stats and video available at the women's basketball schedule on CNUsports.com.