Box Score

Press Conference

DURHAM, N.C. -- The Hampton University women's basketball team (20-12), the No. 15 seed in the Memphis Region, lost to the No. 2 seed Duke Blue Devils (28-5) 72-37 in the first round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Lady Pirates came out strong in the beginning of the first half, making four of their first six field goal attempts. A jumper by Bernadette Fortune (Virginia Beach, Va.), along with layups by Quanneisha Perry (Decatur, Ga.) and Laura Lewis (Dallas, Texas), gave the Lady Pirates an 8-5 lead at the 16:01 mark of the first half.

At the 14:40 mark of the first half, Keturah Jackson gave the Blue Devils an 11-8 lead, which started a 21-3 run for Duke. After a 3-pointer by Jackson with 1:02 left in the half, Duke went up by 26 points, which was the largest lead in the half at 40-14.

Hampton shot 23 percent from the field in the first half (6-for-26), while Duke shot 46 percent (16-for-35) from the floor. The 40-14 halftime deficit was Hampton's largest of the year.

“Duke is a great team, but we made too many turnovers,” Fortune said.

The Lady Pirates started the second half like they did the first half, hitting four of their first five shots. Melanie Warner (Tallahassee, Fla.) made a lay-up and a 3-pointer, and a jumper by Perry got the Lady Pirates within 24 (47-23) at the 16:07 point of the second half.

A jumper by Duke's Allison Vernery put her team up 61-25 at the 9:57 mark.

Three straight 3-pointers by Choicetta McMillian (Fairfield, Texas) cut the deficit to 31 (68-37) with a minute and a half left in the game. However, free-throws made by Kathleen Scheer ended the Lady Pirates' rally.

“They are a great team. We tried to go with our game plan, but we couldn't do the things that we needed to do,” Perry said. “They rebound the ball really well, and we had too many turnovers. They were just really aggressive. Once we broke the press, I guess we relaxed, but we weren't strong with the ball, and you have to stay strong, and we didn't do that at all.”

The Blue Devils were much bigger than the Lady Pirates and they used it to their advantage. The Blue Devils out-rebound the Lady Pirates 47-31. Duke had 15 second-chance points, compared to three for Hampton. Duke was big in the paint with 34 points.

The Lady Pirates were lead by McMillian with nine points, followed by Warner with eight points and a team-high six rebounds.

“For me right now, it's really hard because from the beginning of the season to the end we just built up and became great as a team,” sophomore Jericka Jenkins (Lancaster, Texas) said, “and then this loss is just hard because it makes it seem like everything you've worked for is down the drain. But, this one game doesn't determine our season, it doesn't determine how good or bad we played during the rest of the season.”

Hampton won 16 of its last 19 games, won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship, earned its fourth bid to the NCAA Tournament – its first since 2004. The Lady Pirates' 20-12 record was the best for the Lady Pirates since the 2002-03 squad, which tallied a 23-9 record.

“I want to be clear that we had a tremendous season,” coach David Six said. “This means so much to this university and to the alumni. This means a lot for the people of Hampton University and who we're carrying the torch for. This is what our fans have done all season and I expected the same today as we came off the floor.

“As far as the loss is concerned, I just have to keep it positive. We had a great season. We were picked sixth in our conference and still won the MEAC Championship with seven freshmen and four sophomores. What we have to do now is take the blueprint from the Dukes, and the Tennessees and the UConns, and understand that they started somewhere too.” 

For more information on Hampton University women's basketball, please call Derrick Coles, Assistant Sports Information Director at (757) 727-5906, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.