HAMPTON, Va. – Three players in double figures – including a career night from sophomore forward Mikayla Sayle – helped the Hampton University women's basketball team defeat rival Norfolk State 73-62 at the HU Convocation Center on Saturday.
 
The Lady Pirates (9-12, 7-1 MEAC) won their fifth straight game.
 
Junior guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas led the way with 24 points on 8-for-17 shooting, while Sayle set new career highs in both points (15) and rebounds (a team-high nine). Freshman guard K'lynn Willis added 14 points, going into double figures for the fifth time in the last six games.
 
Willis also had a team-high four steals.
 
The Lady Pirates shot 47.4 percent (27-for-57) from the floor to overcome 19 turnovers. They hit four of their 15 3-pointers (26.7 percent) and went 15-for-25 (60.0 percent) from the free throw line.
 
Both teams had 36 rebounds.
 
Norfolk State held an early 5-4 lead, before the Lady Pirates scored the next nine points to take a 13-5 lead at the 4:35 mark of the first quarter following a three from Tate-DeFreitas. The Spartans cut the lead to one twice in the closing minutes of the frame, but Hampton led 21-16 after 10 minutes.
 
The Spartans cut the lead to 21-18 on the first possession of the second quarter, before Hampton responded by scoring each of the next 11 points to take a 32-18 lead at the 4:34 mark after a layup from Willis.
 
All in all, Hampton outscored Norfolk State 18-4 in the second quarter.
 
Sayle hit a jumper with 57 seconds left in the half that sent the Lady Pirates into the break with a 39-20 lead. Tate-DeFreitas led all scorers with 11 at the break.
 
Senior guard Kristine Rose converted a 3-point play with 7:58 left in the third quarter to give Hampton its largest lead of the night at 44-20. But the Spartan went on to score 17 of the next 24 points, cutting the lead to 51-37 at the 2:39 mark after a Koryn Lawrence layup.
 
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Lady Pirates held a 16-point lead, but Norfolk State cut the lead all the way down to seven, 68-61, with 1:25 left to play after a Dominique Harper 3-point play. That basket capped off a 6-0 run for the Spartans.
 
But Tate-DeFreitas hit a pair of free throws with 1:18 left, before adding a 3-pointer with 39 seconds left that served as the proverbial dagger.
 
The Spartans (0-19, 0-9 MEAC) shot 37.5 percent (21-for-56) from the floor and made just three of their 11 3-pointers (27.3 percent). Norfolk State also committed 23 turnovers.
 
Harper led the Spartans with 17 points.
 
The Lady Pirates will be in Princess Anne, Md. on Saturday, Feb. 6 to take on Maryland Eastern Shore at 2 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.