TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Hampton University women's basketball team won a low-scoring affair on Saturday, beating Florida A&M 46-43 at the Lawson Center to take first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

The Lady Pirates (21-4, 13-1 MEAC) have won six straight games overall and five in a row on the road.

Junior forward Keiara Avant (Chesapeake, Va.) led the way with 18 points and a career-high-tying 17 rebounds, going 6-for-13 from the floor and 6-for-7 from the free throw line. She was the only Lady Pirate in double figures.

The two teams went back-and-forth throughout the first half, an opening 20 minutes that saw seven ties and eight lead changes. Senior guard Choicetta McMillian (Fairfield, Texas) hit a 3-pointer with 3:52 left in the first half to put Hampton up 19-16.

The Lady Rattlers scored six unanswered points to take a 22-19 lead with 58 seconds left in the half after a layup from Kimberly Sparkman.

Florida A&M took a 24-21 lead into the half.

However, the Lady Rattlers were held to just six second-half field goals – despite opening the second half with three straight points to go up 27-21 after a Jasmine Grice free throw. Hampton responded with seven straight points, going up 28-27 at the 16:44 mark after a jumper from senior guard Jericka Jenkins (Lancaster, Texas).

After Jenkins put Hampton up 29-28 with a free throw at the 15:35 mark, Florida A&M answered with a 9-0 run to take a 37-29 lead with 11:08 to play after Jamie Foreman converted a 3-point play.

The Lady Pirates scored the next eight points to tie the game at 37-37 with 7:40 to play after a Jenkins jumper, before FAMU answered with a trey from Grice to take a 40-37 lead. Avant tied the game at 40-40 with 6:18 to play after hitting a free throw, but her free throws with 3:11 remaining gave the Lady Pirates a 42-41 lead.

Senior center Sherena Abercrumbia (Dallas, Texas) hit a putback with 2:44 left to put Hampton up 44-41, and from that point, the Lady Rattlers would get no closer than within one, cutting Hampton's lead to 44-43 at the 1:19 mark on a Grice tip-in.

Avant's jumper with 46 seconds left iced the game, as Tameka McKelton's last-second 3-point heave fell short.

Hampton shot just 28.6 percent (16-for-56) from the floor, hitting two of its 12 3-pointers and turning the ball over 16 times. But the Lady Pirates held a 49-46 edge on the glass – thanks in large part to Avant's effort (which included six offensive rebounds).

Florida A&M (19-7, 12-2 MEAC) shot just 23.8 percent (15-for-63) from the floor, while also making just three of their 20 3-pointers and 10 of their 15 free throws.

Grice led FAMU with 13 points.

The Lady Pirates will return to action on Monday, when they had to Daytona Beach, Fla. to take on Bethune-Cookman at the Moore Gymnasium at 5:30 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.