NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- The Christopher Newport women's basketball team kept their winning streak going on Saturday, pulling away from Penn State Harrisburg (7-11, 3-8) for a 77-54 win at home. The Captains (16-2, 9-2) won their 11th straight game behind another dominating defensive effort and terrific teamwork, picking up 22 assists on 27 made field goals. 

The starting five for Christopher Newport combined for 16 assists in the game, led by a career-high five helpers from sophomore guard Bailey Dufrene. Dufrene pieced together a solid all around performance with six points and seven rebounds to go with her five assists. 

After a close first quarter that saw the Captains lead by only two, 15-13, the CNU defense ratcheted up its intensity in the second and allowed just two made field goals. CNU pulled away by outscoring Penn State Harrisburg 18-6 in the second quarter, holding the Lions to 2-of-14 from the field for 14.3% shooting. 

With a 33-19 advantage heading into the locker room, the Captains had a much better performance offensively in the second half.  CNU shot just 32.4% (11-34) in the first 20 minutes but balanced that with a 45.7% (16-35) effort in the second half. Defense led to offense often in the third quarter, as CNU scored 16 of their 19 points in the third frame off of turnovers. Though the Lions were 6-of-9 from the field to hang with the Captains offensively, CNU forced seven turnovers with three steals while holding off a potential Lions run. 

CNU freshman Brooke Basinger caught fire in the second half, shooting 4-of-6 from the field including three triples while scoring all 11 of her points after the break. She led all scorers in the fourth quarter with eight points while Makeda Wright followed her lead and buried a pair of three-pointers herself. Senior Madison Bloxom also dropped in a trey to round out a fourth quarter that included five made three's, wrapping up the Captains strong performance from beyond the arc with 13 total three-pointers in the game. 

For the game, three Captains finished in double figures including Basinger. Sophomore guard Makenzie Fancher led the team in scoring for the third time this season, pouring in 12 points on four made triples. She would add four assists and two steals to cap a strong performance in the CNU back court. Finally, Sam Porter had another impressive effort, finishing just two rebounds shy of a double-double with 11 points, 8 rebounds, three assists and two steals. 

Sophomore Devon Byrd stuffed the stat sheet as well, finishing with 7 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals. CNU finished with 14 steals in the game while forcing 25 Penn State Harrisburg turnovers. 

The Captains shot 39.1% from the floor on 27-of-69 shooting, and held a big advantage from long range with a 39.4% effort on 13-of-33 shooting. The Lions managed just 4-of-17 from deep for a 23.5% shooting effort. 

Penn State Harrisburg was led by Jasmine Ulrich's 10 points and five rebounds, while Kaitlyn Carmo finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds and two assists. 

The Captains will now hit the road for three games this week, taking on Frostburg State University in a makeup game on Monday, February 1 at 4:30 pm. The game, originally scheduled for last Saturday, was postponed due to Winter Storm Jonas.