CHESTER, Pa. -- The nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team improved to 6-0 to start the season after an 88-65 win on the road at Widener University (2-3) on Saturday afternoon. The Captains forced 35 turnovers for the fifth time in six games this season and scored 39 points off of the Pride's giveaways. 

Playing a season-high 17 minutes against the Pride, junior shooting guard McKenna Snively poured in eight points with a pair of three-pointers in the game. She added three rebounds and a steal off the bench and was one of seven Captains with eight points or more in the contest. Fifth-year senior Camille Malagar led the Captains' scoring group with 15 points including a 7-of-8 showing from the free-throw line. 

The Captains scored the first four points on back-to-back buckets from graduate transfer Sydney Sherman before Widener applied some pressure in the early going. The Pride went on an 11-1 run to take a six-point lead just three minutes into the matchup. Hannah Kaloi trimmed the lead with a fast-break layup and rookie Emma O'Connor finished in the paint to pull back within two, 13-11, but a three-pointer by Kimberly Casiello extended back to five for the home team. Then, moments later, Mia Robbins finished a three-point play to make it a six-point lead again, 19-13, with 3:07 left on the first quarter clock. 

A 6-0 burst that included Snively on the run off a feed by Malagar and four straight free-throws by the latter helped CNU even the score after a pair of steals. O'Connor snagged one and Malagar another before stepping to the line to drain the free throws and knot the game at 19-19. Trading baskets at the end of the quarter, the Pride carried a 23-21 advantage into the second quarter. Despite the momentum, Widener extended back to a game-high seven-point lead with the first two buckets of the second stanza with a layup by Robbins and a three-pointer by Riley Stackhouse. 

Unfazed, the Captains turned to their veteran core as Gabbi San Diego snagged another steal and drained a pair of free-throws before Sherman added another theft and Malagar finished on the other end. After Hannah Orloff secured a rebound, Alexia Lindsey broke free toward the other end to find Sherman for another layup. 

Christopher Newport closed out the first half on a 15-2 run that featured one of Snively's two triples and a pair of layups by O'Connor. In the final minute, CNU took a 42-33 lead on a 2-for-2 trip to the line by Orloff before Widener scored the last bucket of the half to head into the locker room trailing by seven, 42-35. 

CNU took hold of the matchup in the third quarter with a dominant 19-4 run to get the second half started. Sophomores Elizabeth Creed and Mia Wilson played a big role in the burst while Sherman and Malagar continued their strong performance for CNU offensively. After the run, CNU held a 22-point advantage, 61-39, with 2:06 left in the third quarter. 

Widener looked to battle back with a 13-1 run of their own, but quality free-throw shooting continued to benefit the Captains as Malagar and San Diego went 3-of-4 from the stripe to keep the lead at 13 with just 7:22 remaining. The next time down the floor, Snively drained the back-breaking shot off a feed from Hailey Kellogg to kick the lead back up to 14 with 6:42 showing, 68-54. From there, San Diego added a jumper, a steal, and an assist to step up Kellogg for another triple and the lead was back to 19 in the span of just over a minute of action. 

CNU secured 18 steals in the game with San Diego leading the way with four. She also added six points and four assists in the contest. In addition to Snively and Malagar, the Captains got nine points from Sherman and O'Connor, and eight from Creed and rookie Ella Negron (on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting).

Following the win on Saturday, the Captains will travel to Greensboro College for a 5:30 pm tip against the Pride on Tuesday, November 26. Live stats and a live video webcast will be available.