HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University women's basketball team clawed its way within one possession in the closing seconds Sunday afternoon at the HU Convocation Center, but Lehigh escaped with a 63-56 win.
 
The Lady Pirates fell to 1-9 on the season.
 
Malia Tate-DeFreitas dropped a game-high 25 points on 10-for-25 shooting, hitting three 3-pointers, to move her way into fifth on the program's all-time scoring list. She has 1,466 points in 75 career games, and she is 68 points shy of Rachel Butler (1,534 points, 2004-08) for fourth.
 
She also had three assists, tied for the team high with K'lynn Willis.
 
Ryan Jordan recorded her first double-double of the season, racking up a season-high 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Willis scored a season-high eight points.
 
Kaylah Lupoe had eight points and eight rebounds to go along with two blocks.
 
The Lady Pirates struggled offensively, going 23-for-72 (31.9 percent) from the floor and hitting six of their 26 3-pointers (23.1 percent). Hampton was also 4-for-12 from the free throw line, and despite forcing25 Lehigh turnovers, the Lady Pirates only converted those into 16 points.
 
With 1:10 left to play in the fourth quarter, Lehigh held a 57-47 lead thanks to a layup from Kayla Burton. But the Lady Pirates answered with a 9-2 run, cutting the deficit to 59-56 with 17 seconds to play after a long trey from Tate-DeFreitas.
 
In fact, Tate-DeFreitas had all nine of Hampton's points during that span.
 
But Quinci Mann hit two free throws with 14 seconds left to again make it a two-possession game at 61-56, before Taylor Campbell added two free throws of her own with eight seconds left to push the game to its final margin.
 
Lehigh controlled much of the game, thanks to hot shooting in the first half – particularly from behind the arc. The Mountain Hawks made six of 10 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes, including two in the first quarter from Mann.
 
The Mountain Hawks led 15-7 after the first quarter.
 
Hailey Pascoe gave Lehigh a 28-11 lead with 6:03 left in the second quarter, capping an 8-0 run with a 3-pointer. But that would be Lehigh's last field goal of the half, and the Lady Pirates closed the quarter on an 11-0 run.
 
A jumper from Tate-DeFreitas started the run, and she ended the run with a jumper and a 3-pointer, sending the Mountain Hawks into the half with just a 28-22 lead.
 
Tate-DeFreitas had seven points at the half.
 
Willis hit a trey to open the third quarter, cutting Lehigh's lead to 28-25, before the Mountain Hawks answered with a 15-2 run to take a 43-27 lead after a 3-pointer from Elizabeth Jordan.
 
Hampton answered with a 12-2 run of its own, cutting the lead to 45-39 with 26 seconds left in the quarter after Tate-DeFreitas hit a jumper in the paint. But Lehigh scored the next five points to open up a 50-39 lead after a free throw from Kerry Kinek.
 
The Lady Pirates scored the next six points, cutting the lead to 50-45 after a Willis jumper, before Lehigh again opened up a 10-point lead, 55-45, after Lexi Martins hit two free throws with 2:37 left to play.
 
Lehigh (7-4) shot 44.2 percent (19-for-43) from the floor – including a 52.4 percent clip (11-for-21) in the first half – and made seven of its 12 3-pointers (58.3 percent). The Mountain Hawks also made 18 of 28 free throws (64.3 percent) and held a 48-34 edge on the glass.
 
Mann led Lehigh with 21 points, while Martins added 15 points and 15 rebounds.
 
Kinek also had 15 boards.
 
The Lady Pirates will be in Miami, Fla. on Dec. 28-29 for the Surfing Santa Classic. 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.