HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University women's basketball team will open the 2009-2010 season on Thursday night at the HU Convocation Center, when they take on the Tribe of William & Mary at 7 p.m. The Lady Pirates will then take on UNC-Wilmington on Sunday at the Convocation Center at 4 p.m.

The Lady Pirates were 16-16 last season and went 9-7 in MEAC play before advancing to the championship game of the MEAC Championships. Hampton, under the direction of interim head coach David Six, has been picked to finish sixth in the MEAC this year, and junior center Laura Lewis (Dallas, Texas) was named to the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team.

The all-time series between Hampton and William & Mary is tied at 10-10 following Hampton's 72-59 win last season over the Tribe. The series began on Nov. 22, 1977, when the Tribe beat Hampton 62-50, but the Lady Pirates have won six out of the last 10 meetings – including three straight from 1983-85. The Tribe has never won more than three straight in the series, which happened in 1979 and 1980.

William & Mary opened the season on Sunday with a 70-40 home win over Radford. Sophomore guard Taysha Pye led the Tribe with 30 points, while freshman Emily Correal pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds. William & Mary, which finished 14-17 last season with a 6-12 mark in the Colonial Athletic Association, was picked to finish ninth in the CAA this season, and senior Tiffany Benson was named to the Preseason All-CAA First Team.

Benson was a Second Team All-CAA selection last season and was named CAA Defensive Player of the Year. She led the CAA in rebounding last season, and with 27 more blocks, Benson will hold the school record in that category.

UNCW leads the all-time series with Hampton 2-0 following last season's 69-57 defeat of the Lady Pirates. Prior to last season, the only time these two teams met was on Nov. 29, 1996, when the Seahawks walked away with a 93-70 win.

UNCW opened its season on Sunday with an 83-54 win over Wofford at Trask Coliseum. Junior guard/forward Brittany Blackwell, a Preseason All-CAA Second Team selection, led the Seahawks with 18 points and 11 rebounds. The Seahawks finished 16-15 last season with a 9-9 mark in the CAA, and have been picked to finish eighth in the league this year.

After the back-to-back home games, the Lady Pirates will take to the road on Tuesday, when they travel to Richmond, Va. to take on the University of Richmond at 4 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.