HAMPTON, Va. (Jan. 31, 2026) … The Hampton University women's basketball team will host N.C. A&T on Sunday night at 7 p.m. for Greek Night and Mental Health Awareness Night inside the Convocation Center.
 
ABOUT HAMPTON (8-11/2-5)
The Pirates are finishing a three-game week with a rematch against N.C. A&T. Hampton fell 79-53 to Elon on Monday afternoon in a makeup game that was pushed back due to inclement weather in the Hampton Roads area. They defeated UNCW 60-48 on Friday night in Wilmington, N.C. behind three in double figures with Aisha Dabo leading with 16 points.
Heading into Friday's game, Kayla Lezama leads the team in scoring averaging 14.6 points per game, while in the CAA she is second at 20 points per game. She also leads the CAA in league play for 3-point percentage (.559) and is second in free throw percentage (.956). Kiki McElrath is next averaging 12.7 points per game overall and is tied for 13th in the CAA averaging 13.4 per league game. Aaryn Battle rounds out the double figure scorers averaging 10.2 points per game.
On the boards, Le'Asia Foreman leads the Pirates and 10th in the league averaging 7.6 rebounds per game while averaging 7.0 rebounds per conference game. Battle leads in assists with 55 and Olivia Smith is right behind at 53. Foreman leads in steals with 30 followed by McElrath with 29.
As a team, the Pirates are averaging 62.7 points per game and allowing 62.7. On the boards, they trail 39.7-to-35.2 per game. From the field they are hitting 37.9 percent (440-1160) and allowing opponents to hit 40.2 percent (455-1131). From 3-point range, Hampton is 116-of-412 for 28.2 percent while the opposition is 97-of-343 for 28.3 percent. Hampton has averaged 15.1 turnovers per game and force 17.8 per contest.
 
ABOUT N.C. A&T (7-12/2-6)
The Aggies dropped a 59-58 decision to Towson on Friday night before heading to Hampton for a rematch of a January 18 contest that they won 70-57 in Greensboro. In that game, the Aggies jumped out to a 13-2 lead and saw the Pirates trim that margin to 15-10 on an Arlisha Boston triple. That was as close as the Aggies allowed Hampton.
Heading into the weekend, Chaniya Clark leads the Aggies in scoring (12.4 ppg), rebounding (7.6 rpg), blocks (21) and free throw percentage (.756). Joining her in double figures are D'Mya Tucker (11.3 ppg) and Paris Locke (10.3 ppg).
As a team, the Aggies are averaging 63 points per game and allowing 63.2. They're hitting .395 from the field (390-987) and their opponents are hitting .371 (402-1085). From 3-point range they are hitting .278 (82-295) and allowing their opponents to hit at a .307 clip (122-398). On the boards, they are outrebounding their opponents 40.1-to-35.7 per game. N.C. A&T is forcing 18.8 turnovers per game and turning the ball over 21.3 per contest.

LEZAMA GOES OFF .. AGAIN
Junior Kayla Lezama recorded a career-high, for the second straight game, going off for 29 points in the 88-75 loss to Charleston on January 11. She was 11-of-18 from the floor, 6-of-6 from the line and 1-of-2 from 3-point range. That was the second straight game that Lezama recorded a career-high and now is third in the CAA in scoring averaging 19.3 points per contest.
She had 23 points in the loss at Elon on January 4 to set a then career high and matched that at W&M on January 16.

PIRATES ON MONUMENTAL SPORTS
A total of 10 women's basketball games will appear on Monumental Sports Network which started on November 24 with the next home game for Hampton as they host Delaware State.
Millions of households in the network's coverage area can watch college basketball games on MNMT throughout the upcoming season. Local basketball fans can watch the games through their Pay TV subscription, on monumentalplus.com, or by downloading the state-of-the-art Monumental+ app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, DIRECTV Gemini, Fire TV, Roku, X1, and Xfinity Xumo and using an eligible TV Everywhere log-in. 
Nov. 24: Delaware State, 7 pm*
Jan. 2: Stony Brook, 7 pm*
Jan. 11: Charleston, 2 pm
Jan. 23: Campbell, 7 pm*
Jan. 25: Elon, 2 pm
Feb. 1: N.C. A&T, 7 pm
Feb. 13: Towson, 7 pm
Feb. 20: Drexel, 7 pm*
Feb. 22: Monmouth, 2 pm*
March 7: William & Mary, 2pm*
* - games on MNMT2

BREAKING MARKS - DEFENSE
The 48 points allowed to UNCW on Friday night is the lowest against a NCAA Division I opponent this season edging out the 49 points allowed against William & Mary on January 16.
The 48 points is also the second lowest allowed in a CAA contest since Hampton joined the league. Hofstra scored 42 points in falling 49-42 to Hampton on March 1, 2024.

FRESHMAN BLOCK PARTY
Freshman Akilah Shelton made her presence known in the HBCU Hoops Invitational in Orlando as she swatted a season-high five shots in each of the two Hampton wins. She had three at Eastern Kentucky and in the CAA opening win over Stony Brook. The Georgia native and has had at least two swats in nine of her 18 games played.
She cracked the NCAA Division I Era Single Season list with one swat in the win at UNCW to raise her total to 31. Shelton needs six blocks to join the Single Season Top 10 all-time.

UP NEXT
Hampton heads to Philadelphia and Long Island to face Drexel (February 6) and Hofstra (February 8).