EL PASO, Texas – Points were at a premium at times Sunday afternoon at the Don Haskins Center, but UTEP found its offensive rhythm in the second half en route to defeating the Hampton University women's basketball team 78-54.
 
UTEP scored 52 points in the second half.
 
Junior guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas continued her climb up the program's all-time scoring list, vaulting to ninth after dropping 18 points on 7-for-17 shooting. She now has 1,354 career points, and she is 19 points shy of Nicole Brathwaite (2000-04) on the all-time list.
 
She also had a team-high nine rebounds.
 
Sophomore forward Kaylah Lupoe added 14 points, for her second double-digit scoring effort of the season, while also leading the team with three steals.
 
The Lady Pirates (0-4) shot just 31.1 percent (19-for-61) from the floor, including an 8-for-33 clip (24.2 percent) in the first half. Hampton went 4-for-13 (30.8 percent) from 3-point range and 12-for-21 (57.1 percent) from the free throw line.
 
UTEP built up a 12-4 lead with 4:32 left in the first quarter, before the Lady Pirates ended the frame on an 8-2 run, cutting that lead to 16-12 after a jumper from junior guard Georgianna Gilbeaux at the 1:13 mark.
 
The Miners again built up a multiple-possession lead – 21-14 – in the second quarter, but the Lady Pirates responded with a 7-0 spurt to tie the game at 21-21 following a jumper from Lupoe with 2:27 left in the half.
 
Agata Dobrowolska gave UTEP a 23-21 lead 15 seconds later with a jumper, before Tate-DeFreitas hit a trey with 1:16 left in the half to put the Lady Pirates up 24-23.
 
UTEP led 26-24 at the half.
 
Hampton tied the score twice in the opening moments of the third quarter – including 28-28 with 7:38 left after another Lupoe jumper – before the Miners went back on top on a 3-pointer from Starr Breedlove. Tate-DeFreitas cut the gap to 33-32 with a jumper at the 5:55 mark.
 
But the Miners answered by ending the half on a 22-8 run, taking a 55-40 lead following a pair of free throws from Jenzel Nash with six seconds left in the frame.
 
UTEP scored 29 points in the third quarter.
 
An 8-2 Hampton run opened the fourth quarter and cut UTEP's lead to 57-48 after Gilbeaux hit two free throws. But the Miners then went on a 9-2 run to take a 66-50 lead with 3:50 remaining.
 
Redshirt junior guard Chanel Green cut the lead to 66-54 with a layup with 3:12 remaining, but that would be Hampton's last field goal of the game, whereas the Miners closed the game on a 12-0 run.
 
UTEP (3-0) shot 48.2 percent (27-for-56) from the floor – including a 64.3 percent clip (18-for-28) in the second half. The Miners also held a 43-35 edge in rebounding.
 
Nash led UTEP with 23 points, while Breedlove added 22.
 
The Lady Pirates will wrap up their five-game road trip on Wednesday in Austin, Texas, taking on No. 11 Texas. 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.