Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University women's basketball team will return to the HU Convocation Center on Saturday following a four-game road swing, and the Lady Pirates will square off against rival Howard at 4 p.m.
 
The Lady Pirates (18-4, 9-0 MEAC) picked up their eighth straight win on Monday, dismantling Morgan State 90-46 in Baltimore, Md. behind a game-high 22 points from senior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.), who also grabbed eight rebounds.
 
Bennett is 46 points shy of breaking the 1,000-point mark for her career; she would be the 25th player in program history to reach that milestone.
 
Freshman guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) and senior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.) each added 17 points and nine rebounds, while junior guard Kenia Cole (Silver Spring, Md.) scored 15 points for her eighth double-digit scoring effort in the last 10 games.
 
Redshirt-sophomore forward Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md.) added seven points and nine rebounds.
 
The Lady Bison (9-12, 5-3 MEAC) were picked to finish fifth in the MEAC this season, and Howard had a two-game winning streak snapped with a 69-48 loss to North Carolina A&T on Monday. Howard, in its first season under head coach Tennille S. Adams, is led by redshirt-freshman guard Te'Shya Heslip, who is averaging a team-best 13.5 points per game.
 
The Lady Pirates are 26-20 all-time against Howard, and the Lady Pirates have won each of the last 10 meetings — including all three last season (which included a 59-38 win in the championship game of the MEAC Tournament). Howard last defeated Hampton on Dec. 5, 2009 in Washington, D.C., and the Lady Pirates are 12-6 against Howard at home.
 
Hampton is 304-138 against teams currently in the MEAC — including a 26-20 mark against Howard — and the Lady Pirates have won six MEAC regular-season titles to go along with seven tournament titles, including each of the last four.
 
Overall, the Lady Pirates have won their last 39 games against MEAC foes, including conference tournament games. Their 33-game MEAC regular-season winning streak is currently tied for the longest in the nation, along with Albany.
 
The Lady Pirates were a perfect 11-0 at home last season, and in their four-plus years under head coach David Six, they are 45-7 in the HU Convocation Center. Hampton had not lost at home since Jan. 28, 2012, falling to Coppin State in overtime, prior to a loss to American back on Dec. 4. Hampton is 8-1 at home this season after defeating Morgan State 99-45 on Jan. 20, and the Lady Pirates have won their last 15 home MEAC games.
 
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.