DANVILLE, Va. -- Continuing a trend of dominant defensive performances, the Christopher Newport women's basketball team held Averett University (1-4) to just 23.6 percent shooting and pulled away for an 83-37 win on Tuesday night. The Captains, ranked No. 19 in this week's WBCA Division III Coaches' Poll, forced 33 turnovers and snagged 22 steals in the dominant defensive performance. 

CNU improved to 5-2 overall this season with a well-balanced performance on both sides of the ball. Junior Caitlin Crump led 14 players in the scoring column with 15 points on a career-high five made three-pointers. Senior Hailey Kellogg and freshman Sydney Worsham each finished in double figures as well with 10 points while Mia Wilson and Sarah Pritz each added nine points.

Defensively, all but two of the 16 Captains who played in the game logged at least one steal as the full court pressure worked to the visitors advantage. Sophomore Madison McKenzie, the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Week, led the Captains with five thefts while Crump added four steals. 

Holding Averett to single digits in three of four quarters on Tuesday night, the Captains have now been on a torrid pace defensively with five single-digit scoring performances in the last nine quarters played. For the game, the Cougars shot just 23.6 percent (13-55) including a 9.1 percent effort (1-11) from beyond the arc. 

The home team took the first lead of the game, 2-0, before Christopher Newport quickly responded with a 10-0 run and never looked back. Crump and Pritz each knocked down three-pointers in the early spurt while Kellogg and Jessica Dornak scored layups. After the Cougars scored three in a row, CNU turned the lead into double digits with another 10-0 roll in the opening quarter to take a 22-5 advantage with 1:36 remaining. Kellogg hit another triple for the Captains after Dornak sank a jumper in the paint and CNU also converted 5-of-6 free throws in the run. 

Carrying an 18-point lead into the second quarter, the Captains doubled up Averett in the second quarter with a 22-11 showing. Crump slammed in a pair of three pointers and Kendra Rigo added another from beyond the arc. Spreading the ball around, Noelle Cabiness, Sydney Richardson, and Hazel Grepps each added a score in the second quarter. Pritz and Worsham also added to the scoring as Christopher Newport opened up a 49-20 advantage at the break. CNU shot 56.3 percent (18-32) from the field in the first 20 minutes of action. 

In the second half, CNU outscored Averett by a count of 34-17, while holding the Cougars to nine third-quarter points and eight in the fourth. For the third straight game, CNU held their opponent to two or fewer made baskets in the final ten minutes as Averett was just 2-for-12 in the final stanza. 

Meanwhile, the Captains continued to share the ball, finishing the game with 23 assists on 32 made baskets. McKenzie led the team with four helpers while Crump, Wilson, and Atiana Williams each added three assists for CNU. 

Christopher Newport will take a break for the Thanksgiving holiday before returning to action on Sunday, November 30. The game will wrap an eight-game road trip to start the season as CNU travels to Shenandoah University, receiving votes in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll after starting the year 5-0. The game will tip at 3:00 p.m. in Winchester, Va. at the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletics & Events Center.