HAMPTON, Va. – Freshman guard K'lynn Willis led four players in double figures with a career night on Saturday at the HU Convocation Center, as the Hampton University women's basketball team defeated Howard 77-48.
 
The Lady Pirates improved to 13-14 overall and 11-3 in MEAC play.
 
Willis scored a career-high 31 points on 11-for-22 shooting, while also going 7-for-10 from the free throw line. She also grabbed five rebounds and four steals. Junior guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas added 16 points and a team-high 13 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season.
 
Sophomore forward Kaylah Lupoe and freshman guard Dejane' James each added 10 points.
 
The Lady Pirates shot 46.2 percent (30-for-65) from the floor – including a 50.0 percent clip (17-for-34) in the second half – and made 15 of their 25 free throws. Hampton also dominated the glass to the tune of 49-34 and turned 21 Howard turnovers into 21 points.
 
Willis scored Hampton's first 14 points, and the Lady Pirates led 14-10 after the first 10 minutes, despite Howard only making one field goal in the first quarter. Tate-DeFreitas gave Hampton a 22-12 lead with a layup at the 6:53 mark, before Howard scored six straight to cut the lead to 22-18.
 
A Willis 3-point play opened the lead to 28-18, but Howard fought back to within three, cutting the gap to 29-26 after Victoria Gonzales hit a pair of free throws, and Hampton led 32-27 at the half.
 
Willis had 23 points at halftime.
 
But the Lady Pirates opened the third quarter on a 19-5 run, taking a 51-32 lead at the 1:19 mark after a Tate-DeFreitas layup. Willis then added a jumper with 28 seconds left in the quarter, and the Lady Pirates led 53-34 after three.
 
Hampton outscored Howard 21-7 in the third quarter.
 
That momentum carried into the fourth quarter, when Hampton opened the frame on a 10-2 run – going up 63-36 after a jumper from junior guard Georgianna Gilbeaux. Tate-DeFreitas added a layup at the 3:21 mark to give Hampton a 68-38 lead.
 
That was Hampton's largest lead of the game.
 
Howard (5-23, 3-12 MEAC) shot just 28.8 percent (15-for-52) from the floor and went 0-for-8 from behind the arc. The Bison also struggled at the free throw line, going 18-for-27 (66.7 percent).
 
Gonzales led the Bison with 11 points.
 
The Lady Pirates will hold their home finale on Monday at 5 p.m. against Delaware State. 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.