CHAPEL HILL, NC - An 18-7 run in the last 6:29 enabled Hampton to score a season opening win over North Carolina 70-66 on Friday at Carmichael Arena.
The win was the first ever over UNC and the 11th for
David Six against "Power Five" conferences. Â The last win for Hampton against a power five school was against Wake Forest 47-42 on Dec. 28, 2015.
Hampton used a 10-0 run in the first quarter to take a 17-8 lead on a
Mikayla Sayle jumper with 3:37 left. Â The Lady Pirates pushed the lead to 10 points as late as 1:44 left in the half on a
Monnazjea Finney-Smith 3-pointer.
In the third quarter, UNC used a 7-0 run midway through the period to take a 47-43 lead with 3:05 left on a Jocelyn Jones free throw. Â
Jephany Brown hit a 3-pointer from the wing with 22 seconds left in the quarter to take a 49-47 lead. Â Paris Kea beat the third quarter buzzer with a jumper to tie the game 49-all.
In the fourth, the Tar Heels opened with a 10-3 to lead 59-52 on a Kea free throw with 6:29 left. Â Hampton responded with three straight 3-pointers by K'Lynn Willis and two from Finney-Smith to retake the lead 61-59 with 4:33 left.
A Jones jumper with 3:02 left put Carolina up 65-63. Â Hampton scored six straight points between Brown and Finney-Smith to take a 69-65 lead on a Brown free throw with one minute left.
Finney-Smith topped the team with 25 points and hit 7-of-12 Â from 3-point range to lead four in double figures. Â Brown had 16 points and eight rebounds, Â Allina Start had 11 points and eight assists with James scoring 10 and five assists.
As a team Hampton hit 50% from the floor (28-56), 45.8% from 3-point range (11-24).
The Lady Pirates now return to North Carolina next Friday to face Elon on Nov.17.
For more information on Hampton women's basketball contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5757 or visit the official Pirates website at
www.hamptonpirates.com.
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