HAMPTON, Va. (Nov. 5, 2025) … In the season debut for both teams, Hampton (1-0) trounced Apprentice School 105-21 in the season-opener for both teams. Although the schools are just 7.1 miles apart, the two teams had never met on the hardwood.

Hampton coach Tamisha Augustin substituted freely throughout the game. For the game, Hampton's defense forced 48 turnovers, turning them into 49 points.

"We put defense at the forefront of everything we do. Defense is one of our primary goals," Augustin said. "I'm also very pleased with the chemistry of this year's team. They genuinely like one and other and hang out with each other."

The Pirates raced to an 11-2 lead in the game's first three minutes and cruised the rest of the way. Hampton led by 25, 36-9, at the end of the first quarter and by 44, 57-13, at intermission.

Taylor Gibson scored the season's first points to give the put Pirates ahead, a lead they would never surrender. A 13-0 run made the score 17-2. Following a three-pointer by the Builders Ronnice Berry, the Pirates reeled off 12 more points to make it 29-5 with 2:42 to go.

In the first quarter, the Pirates shot 60 percent from the field and outrebounded the Builders 12-4. But it was the defense that made the difference. Hampton forced 12 Apprentice School turnovers turning them into 17 points and limiting them to just 33.3 percent shooting in the opening quarter.

Hampton scored the first nine points of the second quarter to lead 45-9. The Pirates outscored the Builders 21-4 in the period to lead 57-13 at intermission.

The swarming Hampton defense forced 10 turnovers in the second quarter limiting Apprentice School to just four points on 2-of-9 shooting. The Builders shot 27.8 percent in the first half. Eleven players scored in the opening half led by Boston College transfer Kayla Lezama who finished with 10 points with a pair of three-pointers to lead the scoring parade. Delaware State transfer Kiki McElrath had eight points with two treys and Le'Asia Foreman had seven points.

The Pirates canned 7-of-8 shots from the field and started the third quarter with a 17-0 run to lead by 61, 74-13, midway through the third quarter. After three quarters, the Pirated led 87-17, holding Apprentice School to four points in the third quarter.

Tiani Abrams put the Pirates over the century mark with a long three-pointer to make it 100-21 much to the delight of the 698 fans at the Convocation Center.

The new-look Pirates added seven new players from a year ago and the starting line-up included four newcomers. The fifth starter, Kiya Dorroh, missed the 2024-25 season for Hampton due to injury. Apprentice School is rebuilding its women's basketball program under new head coach Ieshia Small Gainey. The program was paused last year when the team was thinned to just four players due to injury and defections.

The Pirates return to action on Nov. 9 when Hampton travels to North Carolina to take on Wake Forest. The next home date is Nov. 24 when Hampton hosts Delaware State at 7:00 p.m. at the Convocation Center.