NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Led by a dominant second half in which the Captains outscored their opponents by 20 points and shot over 62% from the field, Christopher Newport improved to 6-0 overall this season with a 77-51 victory at home against St. Mary's College (Md.). The Seahawks fall to 4-2 after the setback, losing their second straight.

CNU was led by junior Tia Perry, with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and senior Kelly Halverson, with 16 points on 6-of-8 from the field including a perfect 4-for-4 mark from three-point land. 

The Captains trailed only once in the ball game, when a layup by Taylor Petrisko gave St. Mary's a 6-5 lead just 4:18 into the game. CNU sophomore Camry Green banked in a layup off an assist by Halverson on the Captains next possession and the team never looked back. It started a 13-4 run that gave the home team an 18-10 edge with 8:42 remaining.

In the final nine minutes, the Seahawks closed within one possession three times, but at the break, the lead was six at 31-25. 

The Captains defense forced 13 turnovers in the opening stanza, grabbing ten steals. In the second half, the defense kept at it, forcing 12 more turnovers with eight steals, and holding the Seahawks to just 8-of-25 shooting (32%). 

It was the offense that cranked it up in the final 20 minutes, as the Captains ran away with the lead on an impressive shooting performance. CNU knocked down 18-of-29 attempts for a shooting percentage of 62.1%, including a torrid second half from the starters who combined to go 12-of-17 from the floor. 

Leading the charge was junior Nicole Mitchell, who had been held to just two points on 1-of-7 shooting in the first half. Mitchell saw her fortunes turn, scoring 11 second-half points on 5-of-7 from the floor. Meanwhile, Halverson hit two more three-pointers and finished the half with eight points. 

A 12-1 run to open the half put CNU in control less than four minutes into the frame, up 17 points at 43-26. A jumper by Sophie Pruden with 11:29 remaining made it 48-36 after a modest Seahawks run, but the Captains kept their foot on the gas and found themselves up 20 with less than seven minutes to play.

The lead built to as many as 29 twice, including a 75-46 advantage on a jumper by rookie La'Shay Lucas with 2:30 remaining, before the final score was notched at 77-51. 

The Captains got contributions from all over as ten different players registered at least one steal and seven players chipped in assists. All but one player grabbed a rebound in the game and ten different players entered their name into the scoring column. Anika Trent scored six off the bench, while Lucas, Brandi Holland and Chantal Thomas each added four. 

Leading the way offensively was the starting group, combining for 55 points and 20 rebounds in the game. Perry scored 19 points, adding three rebounds, three steals and two assists. Mitchell's 13-point performance came with four rebounds, four steals and two helpers. Finally, Halverson's scorching night of 16 points came on just 6-of-8 from the floor while adding three rebounds, two assists and one steal.

The Seahawks got double figure scoring from Taylor Petrisko (11 pts) and Aura Payne (10 pts), while Sophie Pruden and Marche Pearson each posted balanced performances. Pruden had eight points and rebounds while Pearson chipped in eieght points with seven boards.

The Captains will now set their sights to next Saturday, December 15 in what will prove to be a tough test against future conference opponent Mary Washington. The Eagles are 6-2 overall this season and currently rank No. 25 in the nation. That game will tip off at 6:30 pm.