NORFOLK, Virginia – For the fourth straight year, the Hampton University women's basketball team will face Coppin State in the MEAC Tournament – this time, the two teams will meet for the championship on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Norfolk Scope.
The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.com and air via tape delay on ESPNU on Sunday at 11 a.m.
The top-seeded Lady Pirates (27-4) won their 17th straight game on Friday, using a strong second half to defeat Savannah State 65-49 in the semifinal round. Senior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) scored a game-high 29 points and grabbed a career-high 18 rebounds.
Freshman guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) added 16 points, while junior guard Kenia Cole (Silver Spring, Md.) hit four 3-pointers – three in the second half – and scored 12 points.
Hampton is making its sixth straight appearance in the MEAC title game.
Coppin State (17-13), the No. 3 seed, has won five straight games after beating No. 2 seed North Carolina A&T 57-55 in Friday's semifinal round. Coppin State is in its 12th full season under head coach Derek Brown, who has won three MEAC titles.
Senior forward Kyra Coleman, a First Team All-MEAC selection, leads Coppin State in scoring (17.1 ppg), while senior forward Larrisa Carter is averaging 13.3 points and a team-high 8.1 rebounds per game.
The Lady Pirates are 23-15 all-time against Coppin State, and Hampton has won the last six meetings — including a season sweep this year. Hampton won 80-52 in Hampton, Va. on Jan. 18, before taking an 83-75 win in Baltimore, Md. on Feb. 1. Coppin State was the last MEAC team to hand the Lady Pirates a loss — a 69-66 overtime decision in Hampton, Va. in 2011-12.
Hampton is 6-1 against Coppin State on neutral courts.
Hampton is 312-138 against teams currently in the MEAC — including a 23-15 mark against Coppin State — and the Lady Pirates have won seven MEAC regular-season titles to go along with seven tournament titles, including each of the last four.
Overall, the Lady Pirates have won their last 48 games against MEAC foes, including conference tournament games.
The Lady Pirates are 20-9 on neutral courts in head coach David Six's tenure, including a 5-0 mark so far this season. Hampton has won its last nine neutral-court games dating back to last season, and under Six, the Lady Pirates are 14-0 in MEAC Tournament games.
For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.
COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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