Boxscore

HAMPTON, VA - Melanie Warner scored 21 points and Jericka Jenkins added 10 leading Hampton to a 55-43 victory over Howard on Thursday at the HU Convocation Center.

Howard (15-13, 10-6 MEAC) was led by Saadia Doyle who had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Zykia Brown who had 12 points.

Cheyenne Curley-Payne added eight points and five rebounds, while Kara Smith and Nicole Deterville chipped in four points each.

The Pirates built a big first-half lead and then held off a charge by Howard.  

A layup by Bernadette Fortune with 6:16 to play in the first-half gave Hampton a 24-7 lead, but the Bison slowly rallied their way back into the game in the second period.  

The Pirates held a double-digit lead for most of the second half until Howard got the lead down to a workable margin with 5:35 left to play.

Doyle hit a pair of baskets and Brown knocked down free-throws to helped trim the Hampton lead to 45-40 with 2:34 remaining in the game.

Jenkins helped seal the win for the Pirates, however, after inking four consecutive free-throws. Hampton's lead grew to nine points with 1:27 remaining. Warner hit a pair of 3-point baskets to cap the win for the Pirates.

Howard will face off with No. 5 Florida A&M in the MEAC Tournament next Thurs., March 11 at 2:30 pm. The Bison earned the No. 4 seed after the loss to Hampton.