BALTIMORE, Md. – Despite a late comeback from Morgan State, the Hampton University women's basketball team picked up its first win of the season Monday night at the Talmadge Hill Field House, defeating the Bears 65-51.
 
The Lady Pirates improved to 1-7 overall and went to 1-0 in MEAC play.
 
Malia Tate-DeFreitas dropped a season-high 25 points, going 12-for-14 from the free throw line, to go along with her team-high four assists. Chanel Green added a career-high 13 points on 5-for-11 shooting.
 
Ryan Jordan grabbed a team-high six rebounds.
 
Mikayla Sayle came off the bench to score a career-high eight points, while also grabbing four rebounds and a team-high three steals in 21 minutes.
 
The Lady Pirates shot 44.0 percent (22-for-50) from the floor – including a 51.9 percent clip (14-for-27) in the first half – despite hitting just one of their nine 3-point attempts. Hampton also made 20 of its 26 free throws (76.9 percent).
 
Hampton built up a 15-point lead at the half, before Morgan State outscored the Lady Pirates 13-3 in the third quarter to cut the lead to 43-38. In fact, the Bears made it a one-possession game, cutting the lead to 45-42 with 7:08 remaining after Braennan Farrar hit a pair of free throws.
 
But Sayle answered with a layup to put Hampton back up by two possessions, kicking off a 9-2 Lady Pirates run that culminated with a pair of free throws from Shaleise Boys that gave Hampton a 54-44 lead with 4:04 left to play.
 
Tykyrah Williams cut the lead to 56-48 with a pair of free throws with 2:07 left, but that was as close as the Bears got down the stretch.
 
Jordan put Hampton back up by double digits, 61-50, with a jumper at the 1:38 mark, and Tate-DeFreitas closed the game with a jumper and two free throws to push the game to its final margin.
 
Morgan State held an early 6-4 lead in the first quarter, before the Lady Pirates closed the frame on a 17-6 run, taking a 21-12 lead after a layup from K'lynn Willis with four seconds left. Hampton then scored the first nine points of the second quarter, taking a 30-12 lead after a 3-point play from Georgianna Gilbeaux.
 
Hampton led 40-25 at the half.
 
Tate-DeFreitas led all scorers with 13 points at the break.
 
Morgan State (2-7, 1-1 MEAC) shot 34.0 percent (16-for-47) from the floor and went 1-for-8 (12.5 percent) from 3-point range. The Bears shot just 27.8 percent (8-for-29) in the first half and turned the ball over 33 times -- resulting in 28 Hampton points.
 
Farrar led the Bears with 16 points.
 
The Lady Pirates will travel to No. 2 South Carolina on Wednesday, Dec. 16. 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.