DOVER, Del. -- Junior forward Sam Porter led a terrific night at the free-throw line for the nationally-ranked Christopher Newport women's basketball team, as the Captains improved to 12-0 overall and 5-0 in league play with a 70-51 road win at Wesley College (5-7, 1-4). Porter drained 15-of-17 attempts from the charity stripe, marking the most made free-throws in a game for nearly 22 years, and led an overall 22-for-27 performance for CNU as a team. 

Porter finished the game with 17 points, and joined CNU Athletics Hall of Famer Karen Barefoot as the only players in program history to record 15 or more made free-throws in a game. Barefoot accomplished the feat four times, and Porter's night now ranks fifth all-time among single game performances at the free-throw line. The CNU junior added eight rebounds and three steals in the game to help lead the way in a road conference win. 

For the second straight game, it was a dominating defensive second quarter that led to a big lead for CNU, as the Captains held Wesley to just seven points in the second ten minutes. The momentum would carry over into the third quarter, as CNU blitzed out of the locker room to turn an 8-point halftime lead into a 19-point edge in less than five minutes of action. 

After the teams were tied, 16-16, after the first quarter, CNU would go on a 35-14 run through the second and third to open up a 21-point lead with just under 12 minutes left in the game. The run started after Paige Hallstock hit a three-pointer for Wesley with 8:48 to go in the 2nd quarter, giving the home team a 19-18 lead. From there, CNU went on a 13-2 run to take control, going up 31-21 late in the first half. In the second quarter, Anitra Thomas hit back-to-back three-pointers in the run, and Makeda Wright dropped in a pair of mid-range jumpers to extend the lead late. 

With a big lead in hand, the Captains matched Wesley the rest of the way to hold on for the 19-point win. It was the 11th win of the season by double figures, and the ninth by 16 or more points. The Captains rank third nationally in scoring margin, coming into the game outscoring opponents by an average of +28.5. 

Porter led all scorers with 17 points, while Thomas added 14 off the bench. Thomas buried 4-of-6 three-point attempts in the game to lead the Captains from long range. Junior Bailey Dufrene hauled in a career-high 11 rebounds to lead another strong effort on the glass for the Captains, outrebounding the Wolverines by a final tally of 47-35. CNU scored 23 second-chance points on 17 offensive rebounds. Offensively, CNU also shared the ball incredibly well, dishing 17 assists on 21 made field goals. 

The Captains team defense continues to be the story throughout the 2016-17 season, as Christopher Newport held Wesley to just 51 points. It is the 11th time in 12 games that the Captains opponent has not scored more than 51 points. CNU also held the Wolverines to just 30.9% shooting (17-55), which is the eighth time this season an opponent has failed to shoot at least 31% in the game. 

CNU improved to 12-0 for the third time in program history, and will have a chance to match the second longest season-opening win streak with their next game this Saturday, January 7. The Captains travel to Marymount University for a Capital Athletic Conference doubleheader against the Saints, with tip set for 1:00 pm.