WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Feb. 25, 2024) … Hampton's (2-22, 2-12) 66-58 loss at William & Mary (14-11, 10-4) wasn't as close --- or it was much closer --- than the final score would suggest.
The Tribe dominated play and led by as many as 17 points in the first half. But a remarkable third quarter rally saw the Tribe's lead evaporate as the Lady Pirates closed to within two points. After a back-and-forth final quarter, the Tribe put the game away by scoring nine of its final 11 points from the free throw line. In the fourth quarter, William & Mary converted 11-of 13 free throws.
But it didn't look like the game would come down to the final minutes.
After a slow start by both teams, William & Mary rallied to take an 8-2 lead midway through the first quarter. Hampton closed the gap to 8-6. The Tribe then scored the next seven points to go ahead 15-6. William & Mary led 17-10 at the end of the first quarter while holding Hampton to just 3-of-16 (19 percent) shooting from the field.
An 8-2 Tribe run made it 25-12 midway through the second quarter. William & Mary's strong inside game led to 16 points in the paint and the Tribe outrebounded the Lady Pirates, 27-14, in the first half as William & Mary outscored the Lady Pirates, 16-9, in the second quarter to lead 33-19 at halftime. The Tribe led by as many as 17 late in the period.
Casey Miller kept Hampton in the game with eight first half points. The tough Hampton defense forced 11 turnovers which led to 10 Lady Pirate points. Hampton had 11 steals and blocked three shots.
Hampton shot a sizzling 77 percent (10-of-13) from the field and forced eight Tribe turnovers in the third quarter to get back into the game. A 10-2 run, capped by a basket by
Amyah Reaves in the closing seconds of the quarter, made the score 44-42. Cameron Hill,
Cheyenne Talbot, and
Aisha Dabo each scored six points in the third quarter as Hampton outscored the Tribe, 23-11.
Three times in the final quarter, Hampton closed to within two points but could get no closer. After closing to 52-50 with 3:23 remaining on a Hill field goal, foul trouble forced Hill and Talbot to the sidelines. The Tribe scored eight straight points to go ahead by 10, 60-50, with 1:22 left.
Miller, who scored a career high 12 points, suffered what could be described as a wardrobe malfunction prior to the game. Her uniform was inadvertently left behind and she was assigned No. 31 for the game. But her jersey was retrieved shortly before tipoff and Miller was able to wear her normal No. 21.
Reaves led the Lady Pirates with 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Young, who played four years at Hampton before moving on to William & Mary, scored 24 points to lead the Tribe. Cassidy Geddes (13) and Bella Nascimento (11) also scored double figures for William & Mary.
The Lady Pirates Return to action on Friday, March 1 at 7:00 p.m. when Hampton plays at Hofstra. Hampton won the Jan. 28 meeting between the two teams, 67-62, in Hampton.
