Game Notes

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – The Hampton University women's basketball team will wrap up a five-game road trip on Friday and Saturday, competing in the Cal State Northridge Radisson Hotel Chatsworth Thanksgiving Classic at the Matadome.

The Lady Pirates (3-2) will take on Utah State (4-0) on Friday at 8 p.m. EST, before squaring off against either Santa Clara (0-4) or the host Matadors (2-3) on Saturday at a time to be determined.

Hampton fell 66-62 at UC-Santa Barbara Tuesday night, despite 23 points and a career-high 16 rebounds from senior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) – as well as 14 points from freshman guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) and 10 points and six assists from senior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.).

Redshirt-sophomore forward Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md.) grabbed 11 rebounds – the third time this season she's pulled down double-digit rebounds.

Three Lady Pirates are averaging in double figures in scoring so far this season, led by Bennett (18.0 ppg). Tate-DeFreitas is pouring in 17.2 points per game, reaching double figures if four of her first five collegiate contests, and Hamilton is averaging 13.4 points per game.

Bennett is fourth in the MEAC with a .521 field goal percentage, and she ranks seventh in the conference in scoring. She is also eighth in the MEAC in rebounds, grabbing a team-high 8.6 rebounds per game.

Tate-DeFreitas is ninth in the MEAC in scoring, while Hamilton is sixth in the conference with 4.0 assists per game and Ward is ninth in the MEAC in rebounding.

The Lady Pirates lead the MEAC in scoring defense, allowing 59.4 points per game, and their +8.2 rebounding margin is also the best in the conference. Hampton is second in the MEAC in scoring margin (+5.8), and fourth in both field goal percentage defense (.374) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (.274).

Hampton has never faced Utah State, Santa Clara, or Cal State Northridge.

The Lady Pirates were 13-2 on the road last season, with their only road defeats being at Duke in the NCAA Tournament and at Virginia Tech. Under head coach David Six, the Lady Pirates are 44-17 in road games over the past four-plus seasons. Hampton's success on the road has been a large part of the team's recent dominance in the MEAC; the Lady Pirates were a perfect 8-0 in road conference games last season.

The Lady Pirates are also 16-9 on neutral courts in Six's tenure, including a 4-5 mark last season.

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.