NORFOLK, Va. – Junior Jephany Brown scored a season-high 20 points to lead four in double figures as the third-seeded Hampton University Lady Pirates advanced to the semifinals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament with a 66-56 win over 11^th-seeded Maryland-Eastern Shore on Thursday.

With the win, Hampton (18-12) advances to a 2pm semifinal matchup with seventh-seeded North Carolina A&T State on Friday at the Norfolk Scope.

Hampton opened the game quickly jumping out to a 12-2 start on a jumper by K'lynn Willis with 3:06 left.  The Hawks started to connect from 3-point land as Alexus Hicks dropped two 3-pointers in the last three minutes to close the quarter with Hampton up 15-10.

The Lady Pirates scored the first six points of the second quarter to take a 21-10 advantage on a Monnazjea Finney-Smith jumper with 8:34 remaining.  Hampton held a lead until the final 30 seconds as Briana Mack hit a pair of free throws to give Maryland Eastern Shore a 30-29 lead.  Dejane James found Mikayla Sayle for a layup with six seconds left to give Hampton a 31-30 halftime lead.

A 3-pointer from Shauntesha Bryant kept the Hawks close a 37-36 with 8:38 left in the quarter.  Hampton then cranked up the defense and went on a 13-2 run holding the Hawks scoreless for over four minutes as a Georgianna Gilbeaux layup put the Lady Pirates up 50-38 with 3:57 left. 

In the fourth, neither team could get a flow going as one field goal was made in the first five and a half minutes.  Hampton hit its first field goal on a Kaylah Lupoe layup with 3:41 left to lead 57-50.  The Hawks cut the margin to five on a pair of Keyera Eaton free throws eight seconds later, but that was as close as they got.  Hampton scored eight of the next 10 points to lead 65-54 on a Brown layup with 57 seconds left.

Finney-Smith had 17 points, eight rebounds and a season-high six assists, while Lupoe added 12 points, six boards and two blocked shots.  James rounded out the double figure scorers with 10 points, a career-high seven assists and a season-high five rebounds.

Hampton was 24-of-54 from the floor (44.4%), 14-of-23 from the foul line (60.9%) and 4-of-15 from 3-point land (26.7%).  Finney-Smith and Gilbeaux were the leading rebounders with eight.

For more information on Hampton University women's basketball, please contact the Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5906 or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.