Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University women's basketball team will open the bulk of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play on Saturday, when they welcome the Lady Eagles of Coppin State University to the HU Convocation Center for a 4 p.m. tilt.

The Lady Pirates (4-8, 0-1 MEAC) beat Bryant 68-48 on Dec. 29 to take third place in the Florida International Sun & Fun Classic, winning its second game in its last three tries. Senior guard Whitney Hill led the Lady Pirates with 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Coppin State (3-8, 0-1 MEAC) has lost three straight after Saturday's 61-50 loss to Morgan State.

The Lady Pirates lead the all-time series against Coppin State 14-13, after the two teams split last year's meetings. Coppin State beat Hampton 60-59 in Baltimore on Jan. 24, 2009, before the Lady Pirates responded on Feb. 21 with an 80-63 win at the HU Convocation Center. Coppin State has won 10 of the last 12 meetings between the two teams, including eight in a row. The Lady Eagles won the first-ever meeting on Feb. 10, 1996, beating Hampton 57-56 at the HU Convocation Center.

The Lady Pirates are 3-2 at the HU Convocation Center so far this season, opening the season with back-to-back home wins against Williams & Mary (71-66) on Nov. 19 and UNC-Wilmington (66-52) on Nov. 22. After losing 54-51 to Temple on Dec. 8 and falling 65-61 to East Carolina on Dec. 12, the Lady Pirates beat Radford 63-43 at the HU Convocation Center on Dec. 23 to snap a seven-game losing streak. Saturday's game against Coppin State will be Hampton's first MEAC home game of the season.

The Lady Eagles went 14-15 overall last year, finishing second in the MEAC with 12-4 mark before making it to the first round of the WNIT and falling 70-40 at West Virginia. Whitney Cunningham was named First Team All-MEAC. Coppin State was picked to finish third in the MEAC this season, picking up a first-place vote in the process.

Junior guard Shante Cummings leads the Lady Eagles in scoring so far this season, pouring in 10.8 points a game on 35.7 percent (46-for-129) shooting. Sophomore center Jeanine Manley is averaging 9.8 points a game, while also pulling down a team-high 6.5 rebounds a contest.

Coppin State is averaging just 53.2 points a game as a team on offense, while giving up 62.1 points a night on defense. Opponents are also out-rebounding the Lady Eagles by an average of 41.0-37.5 per game.

Live stats for Saturday's game between Hampton and Coppin State will be available through the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com. Lady Pirates basketball games can also be heard live on the radio at WHOV 88.1 FM, with Shamar Woods and Matt White calling all the action.

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.