Rocky Mount, N.C. - Christopher Newport University took a 48-30 lead into the break and did not look back en route to an 84-56 victory over homestanding North Carolina Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon in Everett Gymnasium. CNU got a game-high 34 points from sophomore Tra Benefield in moving to 10-3 on the season, 2-0 in USA South play. The USA South contest was the first of the season for the Battling Bishops, who now stand at 6-7 overall, 0-1 in conference action.
NCWC senior Alex Murray looked to get the Bishops off to good start after he won the opening tip and later drove the baseline for a dominating dunk to open the scoring. After an offensive rebound and lay-up by the Captains' Mike Cherry tied the score at 2-2, Murray hit 1-of-2 attempts at the charity stripe for a 3-2 Wesleyan advantage.
It was then that Benefield hit the first of CNU's six first-half treys to give the Captains their first lead, and they would not trail again. The ensuing 20-2 run saw Newport pull away and eventually carry an 18-point lead into halftime.
The Bishops made a run to start the second half as CNU scored just three points over the first six and a half minutes of the period. Wesleyan got as close as 51-39 on a Domarius Thomas jumper at the 13:33 mark, but CNU answered with five straight points by Nik Biberaj that ignited a 21-6 Captain run and essentially put an end to any thoughts of a comeback.
CNU's Conley Taylor joined Benefield in double figures with 13 points, while Biberaj and Jon Snead had 10 apiece. For the Bishops, Thomas and Julian Martin had 14 and 13 points, respectively.
Statistically, the Captains held a 46-36 advantage on the boards and tallied 22 second-chance points.
Wesleyan hits the road on Wednesday with a 7:30pm league match-up at Greensboro.