COLUMBIA, SC –  Alaina Coates had 28 points and 16 rebounds, while A'ja Wilson added 20 points and seven rebounds as No. 4/3 South Carolina defeated Hampton 92-38 in the opening game of the Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Challenge at Colonial Life Arena on Sunday afternoon.
 
Hampton used a Jephany Brown 3-pointer to take an early 3-0 lead, but the Gamecocks responded with the next 13 points to get a working margin.  A Brown layup slowed the run with 4:56 left as Hampton trailed 13-5. 
 
After a pair of layups from Coates put South Carolina (2-0) up 18-11 with 2:12 left in the quarter, Hampton trimmed the margin to three on jumpers from Kaylah Lupoe and Brown to trail 18-15 with 90 seconds left.  Two Wilson free throws and one from Bianca Cuevas-Moore put the Gamecocks up 21-15 after one.
 
South Carolina opened the second quarter scoring the first 15 points before consecutive 3-pointers from Adria Strothers stopped the run as Hampton trailed 38-21 with 4:23 left in the half.  The hosts followed with the next 10 points to lead 48-21 with 2:21 left on a pair of Wilson free throws.
 
Hampton was topped by Malia Tate-DeFreitas with 10 points, while Brown and Strothers added nine each.    Tate-DeFreitas is now eight points away from becoming the second Lady Pirate with 2,000 career points.  Brown was the leading rebounder for Hampton with nine, while Tate-DeFreitas added five and five assists.
 
The Lady Pirates will now take on Saint Peter's at 5 pm on Monday afternoon in day two of the Basketball Hall of Fame Women's Challenge.
 
For more information on Hampton University women's basketball, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5906 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.