Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. – A big run by Hampton to end the first half propelled the Pirates to a 74-53 win over the Norfolk State women's basketball team Saturday afternoon at Joseph Echols Hall.

In front of a crowd of 2,253 in the hardcourt version of the Battle of the Bay, Jericka Jenkins and Coicetta McMillian totaled 22 and 20 points, respectively, as first-place Hampton improved to 18-6 overall and 10-1 in the MEAC. NSU fell to 8-13, 1-10 as the Spartans dropped their fifth game in a row.

The announced crowd marked the biggest attendance for the women's team in seven years.

Sophomore Marian Brooks led NSU with 11 points, while junior Tyisha Bridges totaled nine points, four rebounds and three steals. Sophomore Batavia Owens also added nine points and five rebounds, and junior Sarah Daily had a team-high six boards.

NSU shot well for the game, hitting 45.7 percent compared to a 46.9 percent clip for the Pirates. The Spartans, though, committed 28 turnovers in the game as the Pirates held a 22-12 edge in points off turnovers. Hampton also connected on 8-of-16 from beyond the arc and 23-of-49 overall.

NSU attempted just three 3-pointers and shot 21-of-46 overall. The Spartans also held a slight edge in rebounds, 29-28.

Jenkins also added nine assists and four steals for the Pirates, while Melanie Warner totaled 10 points, five rebounds and three steals. Quanneisha Perry had a team-leading six rebounds with eight points and two steals.

Freshman Rae Corbo hit a driving layup to get NSU on the board as the game got underway, and after Hampton got the lead to seven, 9-2, the Spartans made a quick turnaround. Owens backed down her defender down low and made the layup to cut the deficit to three, 11-8.

A pair of free throws by Brooks cut the Hampton lead to two, and then freshman Tia Moore did the same as she drove in for the layin to make it 14-12 with 12:34 to go. NSU got to within one, 17-16, after Owens sank her free throw to complete a 3-point play.

Bridges hit a pull-up jumper from 14 feet out for a 21-18 Pirate lead with slightly more than nine minutes remaining in the half. NSU stayed with Hampton over the next several minutes, as an inbounds pass by freshman Recca Trice found senior Genor Dalton a few feet in front of the basket. That make by Dalton again cut the deficit to two, 23-21, with 7:52 showing on the clock.

Hampton, though, got its offense rolling from there. The Pirates responded with a 9-0 run that eventually stretched into a long 21-6 run during the next six minutes as they took a 44-29 lead into the half.

Jenkins had 16 of her 22 points in that first stanza.

Hampton scored the first seven points of the second half, but NSU tallied six of the next nine points in the game as the Spartans found themselves down by 19 with 16:28 left. Hampton kept the pressure going, though, stretching the lead to 26 at the 12:52 mark.

Neither team found the bottom of the net during a two and a half minute span until Gordon got the jumper out in front of the basket to fall. That started a 7-0 run by NSU that ended with Bridges converting a traditional 3-point play to make it 64-45 with 8:53 left in the game.

The Spartans, though, got no closer than 19 points the rest of the way as Hampton held on for the win.

NSU will return to Echols to face Howard Monday at 6 p.m.