NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Using stifling defense and a balanced attack, the Christopher Newport women's basketball team ran its undefeated record to 5-0, 2-0 in the USA South with a 70-55 win over Piedmont College Sunday afternoon. The Lions fall to 4-3, 0-2, as CNU forced 30 turnovers and scored 30 points off of takeaways. 

Senior Kelly Halverson just missed her first career double-double with a career-high nine rebounds paired with 14 points in the game. Junior Nicole Mitchell notched her first double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while junior Tia Perry scored a game-high 17 points with nine rebounds and four steals. 

The Captains opened the game with suffocating defense to take an early double-digit lead. Just 4:10 into the game, CNU had raced out to an 11-0 lead while allowing just one field goal attempt and forcing six turnovers with four steals. Despite the early surge, a 12-3 Piedmont run found the visiting team right back into the game down just two, 14-12, with 10:19 left in the first half.

As quick as the Lions had closed within one possession, the Captains responded with a huge run to finish out the half. In the final 8:51 of the first half, CNU built a big 19-point buffer with a 27-11 surge. Halverson led the way, with a pair of three-pointers and an impressive effort on the glass, hauling down five boards. 

At halftime, the Captains held a dominant advantage in rebounding,  with a 29-17 edge overall, including 18 on the offensive end. CNU he;d a 45-26 edge at the break, led by Mitchell with 12 points and six rebounds, and Perry's 11 points and seven rebounds. The Lions did shoot 42.9% (9-21) in the frame, but the Captains defense held Piedmont to just 21 attempts, nearly half as many as the home team mustered.

In the second half, Christopher Newport built the lead to as many as 23, on a layup by Perry with 16:30 left, and again to 22 with 11:45 remaining on a three-pointer by rookie Jordan Miller. The final ten minutes saw Piedmont chip away at the lead, closing to within ten at 65-55 with 2:13 remaining on the clock. That would be as close as the visitors would get, though, as CNU locked down with two steals and solid free-throw shooting down the stretch to hold off the comeback. 

Piedmont outscored CNU in the second half, 29-25, but the Captains maintained their solid advantage on the glass. For the game, Christopher Newport held a 54-33 edge in rebounding, hauling in 26 offensive rebounds. All ten players that saw game action for CNU had at least one rebound, while four players had at least eight in the game.

The balanced effort saw nine of the ten CNU players score at least four points in the game, and the only player held scoreless, Camry Green, grabbed eight rebounds and had a pair of steals. 

Piedmont got double figure scoring from three players, as Kiki Thompson and Mary Kate Rushton each had 11, while Chandler Alverson added 10. 

The Captains overcame a 30.2% night shooting and held their fourth opponent in five games to less than 60 points. 

CNU will return to action in the third game of a four-game homestand this Thursday, December 6 at 7:00 pm as the Captains take on St. Mary's College (Md.).