Howard Drops First MEAC Game at Hampton, 68-52
HAMPTON, VA – The Howard women's basketball team dropped its opening MEAC match at Hampton (3-4, 1-0 MEAC), 68-52, on Sat. Dec. 4. The Lady Bison drop to 3-7 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
Saadia Doyle finished with her fourth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds in 39 minutes of action. Cheyenne Curley Payne tallied nine points and four assists. Adelle Walton chipped in with seven points and two steals.
As a team HU was held to 20-for-55 from the field (36.4 percent) while Hampton went 20-for-42 from the floor for a 47 percent shooting clip. The Lady Pirates outrebounded the Lady Bison 36-29. Howard scored 23 points off 15 Hampton miscues, however. The HU bench also outscored the Lady Pirate bench 15-6.
In the first half, Nicole Deterville opened up scoring and gave HU its first points of the game with a layup. Hampton responded with a basket of its own by Quanneisha Perry.
The Lady Pirates led by as many as six (20-14) at the 6:14 mark, until HU rattled off seven unanswered – capped by a Julee' O'Neal triple – to take a slim short-lived 21-20 advantage. The Lady Pirates led 27-24 at the break.
The second stint was dominated by Hampton. After Doyle's three-pointer at 13:46, the Lady Pirates proceeded to go on an 8-0 run to push the spread to 48-35 with just under nine minutes remaining.
Hampton gained a comfortable 52-38 advantage at the 4:56 mark off a Perry basket. The Lady Bison rattled off five unanswered – highlighted by a Curley-Payne traditional three-point play – to cut it to 55-43 with 3:54 left in regulation. HU would get no closer than that, however, as the Lady Pirates cruised to the 68-52 victory.
For the Lady Pirates, Jericka Jenkins finished with a game-high 17 points – all in the second half. Perry tallied 15 points and seven rebounds. Choicetta McMillian had 13 points in 35 minutes of play.
The Lady Bison will take an 11-day break before hosting St. Francis (PA) on Thurs. Dec. 16. The game is slated for noon.