HAMPTON, Va. – For the second straight home game, the Hampton University women's basketball team turned its opponent over 36 times, stifling Maryland Eastern Shore en route to a 71-43 win at the HU Convocation Center on Saturday.
 
The Lady Pirates (11-11, 7-2 MEAC) remain atop the conference standings.
 
Sophomore guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.), the reigning MEAC Player of the Week, led three Lady Pirates in double figures with 23 points – to go along with six assists, five rebounds, and five steals.
 
Senior guard Kyani White (Manassas, Va.) added 13 points, while also dishing out six assists, while junior guard Ryan Jordan (Manassas, Va.) chipped in 10 points.
 
Redshirt junior forward Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md.) grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
 
The Lady Pirates shot 41.2 percent (28-for-68) from the floor – including a 44.4 percent clip (16-for-36) in the first half – all while turning those 36 Hawk turnovers into 35 points. Hampton also held a 32-14 edge in points in the paint.
 
Both teams had 35 rebounds.
 
The Hawks opened the game with turnovers in each of their first six possessions, and the Lady Pirates sprinted out to a 19-0 lead – taking that lead at the 12:03 mark after a 3-point play from senior guard Kenia Cole (Silver Spring, Md.).
 
UMES's first field goal didn't come until the 11:30 mark on a layup from Alexis Udoji.
 
A fastbreak layup from Tate-DeFreitas with 3:31 left in the half gave the Lady Pirates a 34-11 lead, before Shawnee Sweeney hit a 3-pointer at the 2:39 mark to cut the lead to 34-14.
 
But Hampton ended the half with six unanswered points, taking a 40-14 lead into the break after Tate-DeFreitas turned yet another UMES turnover into a steal-and-score with 10 seconds left in the opening frame.
 
Tate-DeFreitas had 20 points at the half.
 
UMES turned the ball over 23 times in the opening half.
 
The Lady Pirates were in complete control in the second half, leading 52-25 at the 10:28 mark after a pair of free throws from White. Jordan converted a layup with 5:37 left to play to give the Lady Pirates a 60-33 lead.
 
Senior guard Lauren Johnson (Cairo, Ga.) added a jumper with 2:57 left to play to give Hampton its largest lead of the game at 67-36.
 
UMES (7-13, 4-6 MEAC) shot 37.0 percent (17-for-46) from the floor and made five of 16 3-pointers (31.3 percent).
 
Jessica Long led the Hawks with 12 points.
 
The Lady Pirates will return to the Convocation Center on Monday to take on Howard at 6 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.