COLUMBIA, S.C. – The Hampton University women's basketball team hung tough in the first half, but No. 2/2 South Carolina scored 56 second-half points en route to an 86-48 win at the Colonial Life Arena on Wednesday.
 
Malia Tate-DeFreitas led the Lady Pirates with 14 points, moving up to sixth on the program's all-time scoring list. She is 11 points away from fifth-place Wendy Goodwin (1990-94, 1,452 points).
 
She also had five assists.
 
Ryan Jordan added a season-high nine points and four rebounds, while Kaylah Lupoe had seven points and eight rebounds.
 
Hampton shot 31.1 percent (19-for-61) from the floor and racked up 10 steals – forcing the Gamecocks into 17 turnovers. But the Lady Pirates made just eight trips to the free throw line in the game, making five of them.
 
The Lady Pirates (1-8) only trailed by five after the first quarter, but the Gamecocks opened the second quarter on a 14-2 run, taking a 28-13 lead after a layup from Alaina Coates at the 3:40 mark. The Lady Pirates answered with a 7-2 spurt to end the half, culminating in a trey from Tate-DeFreitas with 1:04 left.
 
South Carolina led 30-18 at the half.
 
The Gamecocks scored the first five points of the third quarter, en route to a 29-point frame that saw them hit eight field goals – including three 3-pointers. Coates scored the team's last six points of the quarter to give South Carolina a 59-38 lead after 30 minutes of play.
 
The Gamecocks opened the fourth quarter with a 15-7 spurt, taking a 74-45 lead after Tiffany Mitchell hit a 3-pointer at the 5:03 mark. In all, South Carolina scored 27 points in the fourth quarter, taking a 71-41 lead with 6:07 to play after Asia Dozier hit two free throws.
 
South Carolina scored the game's last six points.
 
South Carolina (9-0), in addition to out-rebounding the Lady Pirates 52-19, shot 48.3 percent (28-for-58) from the floor and went 6-for-16 (37.5 percent) from behind the arc. The Gamecocks also made 24 of 31 free throws.
 
Coates led three Gamecocks in double figures with 22 points and had a team-high 12 rebounds.
 
The Lady Pirates will return to the HU Convocation Center on Sunday to take on Lehigh at 3 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.