WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Jan. 3, 2024) … Hampton (4-8, 0-1 CAA) played on even terms with William & Mary (4-8, 1-0 CAA) for a half but the Tribe's inside strength was too much for the young Lady Pirates as the Tribe came away with a 71-52 victory before 766 fans at Kaplan Arena. It was the Coastal Athletic Association opener for both teams.

William & Mary's Jana Sallman dominated play with 20 points and 17 rebounds. William & Mary scored 52 points in the paint, equaling Hampton's total scoring output in the game, and outrebounded the Lady Pirates 48-29.

Jasha Clinton kept Hampton close in the first half scoring 13 points to lead all scorers. But the Tribe defense held Clinton to just two points in the second half. CeCe Thomas also reached double figures with 12 points.

Clinton opened the game's scoring with a layup before William & Mary reeled off seven straight points to lead 7-2 with 4:57 left in the first quarter. Jenae Dublin snapped Hampton's scoreless streak with a free throw at the 4:42 mark. The Tribe led by as many as eight in the opening period, 16-8. But Clinton kept the Lady Pirates in the game by scoring nine of Hampton's 11 first quarter points. Dublin added two free throws for the Lady Pirates as Hampton trailed 16-11 after the first quarter.

Hampton battled back scoring the first six points of the second quarter to take a 17-16 lead on a Clinton basket. Four straight points by William & Mary put the Tribe ahead 20-17. But Hampton made its first six field goal attempts and eight of its first nine to keep the game close. Le'Asia Foreman tied the score, 24-24, with a field goal and free throw with 2:40 to go before halftime. The Tribe outscored the Lady Pirates 11-6 to lead 35-30 at intermission.

Clinton led all scorers with 13 first half points. William & Mary's Sallman had 10. The two teams battled on even terms statistically with the exception of the Tribe's 25-14 advantage on the boards.

An 8-2 streak to start the third quarter boosted the Tribe's lead to 43-32. The Tribe would go on to make 10 straight baskets without a miss --- three three-pointers and seven layups --- to lead 59-40 after three quarters. William & Mary shot a sizzling 78.6 percent from the field in the period. The Tribe outscored Hampton 24-10 in the quarter, scoring the last 10 points of the period. The Tribe outrebounded Hampton 7-2 in the period and had an overall 32-16 advantage on the boards after three quarters.

Each team scored 12 points in the final period as the Tribe topped the Lady Pirates for the fifth straight time.

The Lady Pirates return to action on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 2:00 p.m. Hampton hosts North Carolina A&T at the Hampton Convocation Center.