Box Score HAMPTON, Va. – Kaylah Lupoe scored a game-high 20 points and host Hampton's defense limited Norfolk State to 36 percent shooting in a 64-49 Lady Pirates' win on Thursday night at the Convocation Center.
With the Spartans' loss and a win Thursday night by North Carolina A&T, NSU drops out of a third-place tie with the Aggies and into the No. 4 seed in next week's MEAC Tournament. The Spartans (12-15, 11-5 MEAC) open tourney play in the first round against No. 13 Delaware State at 11 a.m. Monday at the Norfolk Scope.
Rae Corbo paced NSU with 11 points.
Kayla Roberts, who played just 21 minutes while batting foul trouble, had nine points and 10 rebounds.
Hampton never trailed in the first half, and the only tie came at 2-all after Roberts hit a pair of free throws early. NSU didn't score its first field goal until a
Koryn Lawrence jumper with 16:00 left on the first-half clock cut Hampton's lead to 8-4.
Later in the half, the Spartans suffered through a field goal drought of more than eight minutes in length as HU extended its lead. Hampton went on a 10-0 run during that stretch, capped by a Tyler Hobgood free throw, to take a 21-8 advantage. The Lady Pirates held NSU to 6-of-25 shooting (24 percent) in the first half and led 28-17 at the break.
A baseline jumper by Roberts 50 seconds into the second half brought NSU within 28-19, but nine points would be as close as the Spartans could get. The Spartans never let the game get away from them, but Hampton shot 53.8 percent (14-of-26) in the second half to keep NSU at bay.
The Spartans had 22 turnovers on the night and hit 20-of-55 from the floor. Corbo was the only Spartan in double figures. Along with Roberts' nine points,
Koryn Lawrence chipped in with eight points and five steals and
Dominique Harper also scored eight points.
Lupoe was 9-of-12 from the floor for the Lady Pirates (18-11, 14-2), who earned the MEAC's regular-season title with the win. NSU held the MEAC's leading scorer, Hampton guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas, to 13 points, more than nine below her average, on 3-of-10 shooting from the floor. Ryan Jordan added 10 points for HU.
