WESTMINSTER, Md. -- After opening the season with a dominant victory at home on Wednesday night, the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team will hit the road for a pair this weekend at the McDaniel Tip-Off Tournament at the Gill Center in Westminster, Md. CNU will open the two-day event with an 8:00 pm tip against St. John Fisher on Friday, November 17 before advancing to play at either 2:00 or 4:00 pm on Saturday. 

Live stats and a live video webcast will be available for all four games in the tournament, provided by the McDaniel College Department of Athletics. Links to the live coverage can be found at the women's basketball schedule at CNUsports.com. 

CNU will take on St. John Fisher for the first time in program history in Friday's nightcap, following the host Green Terror taking on Chatham. Christopher Newport has also never faced either McDaniel or Chatham and will take on one of those teams on Saturday in the consolation match at 2:00 pm or championship bout at 4:00 pm. 

The Captains opened the season on Wednesday night with a 63-36 victory over Bridgewater College, showcasing the same tenacious defense that helped boost them to a deep postseason run a year ago. CNU grabbed 23 steals, led by senior Sam Porter with 5. Porter was also 3-for-3 from the floor and finished with seven points, while sophomore Micah Maloney led all scorers with 10 points in the game. 

For the second game to start the season, CNU will be playing a team with a first-year head coach as St. John Fisher embarks on a new era for the Cardinals under head coach Melissa Kuberka. Fisher is coming off a 12-14 campaign last season, earning a 10th straight trip to the Empire 8 Championship. St. John Fisher is led by senior Nicole Robinson, who hauled in 6.5 rebounds while swatting 1.4 blocks per game last season. It will be the first game of the season for the Cardinals. 

McDaniel (0-1) opened with a loss to York (Pa.) despite a 12-point collegiate debut from rookie Caroline Ward. Chatham (1-0) captured a win over Franciscan, 56-23, with four Cougars finishing in double figures. 

Following the weekend trip to Maryland, CNU will travel to Methodist University on Tuesday, November 21 before breaking for the Thanksgiving holiday.