William & Mary Defeat Lady Pirates

Next Game:

at North Carolina A&T

2/16/2024 | 6:00 PM

HAMPTON, Va. (Feb. 11, 2024) … It was Super Bowl Sunday and, for three quarters, it was a super basketball game as Hampton (2-19, 2-9) hosted William & Mary (12-10, 8-3). The score was tied after the first quarter. Hampton held a one-point, 29-28, advantage after two quarters and the score was knotted, 43-43, after three periods.

But the Tribe took control in the final quarter outscoring the Lady Pirates, 22-12, to post a 65-55 win and record their third consecutive victory.

The game started in a familiar way. Nylah Young scored the first basket of the contest. Young spent four seasons in a Hampton uniform and played 94 games for the Lady Pirates before transferring to William & Mary. She was Hampton's leading scorer a year ago and is now the leading scorer for the Tribe.

But Hampton's swarming defense forced five Tribe turnovers --- and 23 for the game --- as the two teams battled on even terms throughout the first quarter. After William & Mary went ahead 7-2, a basket by Le'Asia Foreman and back-to-back buckets by Cheyenne Talbot put the Lady Pirates ahead 8-7. The two teams were tied, 11-11, at the end of the first quarter.

A 10-point run by the Lady Pirates put Hampton ahead, 23-13, midway through the second quarter. A trey by Tyra Kennedy followed by a pair of Casey Miller free throws spurred the double-digit Hampton lead.

But nine straight points by the Tribe closed the gap to 23-22 before Amyah Reaves scored to make the score, 25-22. A three-pointer by the Tribe's Monet Dance tied it but Talbot answered with a bucket and free throw to stake the Lady Pirates to a 28-25 advantage with 1:29 to go. A Tribe trey by Rebekah Frisby-Smith at the buzzer cut the Hampton lead to one at halftime.

In the first half, Talbot had eight points and six rebounds. William & Mary was a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line but shot just 25 percent from the field (4-of-16) in the second quarter. Hampton's fierce defense forced 12 Tribe turnovers, converting them into 13 points.

An Aniha-Lee Cauley basket to start the second half put the Tribe ahead, 30-29. But a free throw by Talbot and two by more Camryn Hill put Hampton back on top, 32-30. A Talbot lay-up put Hampton ahead by four points but back-to-back-to-back treys by William & Mary boosted the Tribe to a 42-37 lead. A lay-up by Reaves and an Aisha Dabo putback plus two free throws put Hampton back ahead, 43-42, with 47 seconds left in the third quarter. A Tribe free throw tied the score, 43-43, after three quarters.

A three-pointer by Reaves to start fourth quarter put Hampton ahead, 46-43.

With the game on the line William & Mary's Young went to work. A basket and four consecutive free throws and lay-up put the Tribe ahead, 50-46, with 6:34 left in the contest. Young, who had just four points in the first half, finished with 12 points.

William & Mary's lead grew to 12, 65-53, as the Tribe pulled away in the final quarter. The Tribe outrebounded the Lady Pirates, 12-4, in the fourth period and outrebounded 45-30 for the game.

Four Hampton players scored double-figures including Reaves (16), Hill (12), Talbot (11), and Dabo (10). For William & Mary, Cassidy Geddes led all scorers with 19 and teammate Young finished with 12 points.