Women's Basketball 1/26/2008 5:00:00 AM MEAC Media Relations

Lady Pirates Drop First MEAC Game In 64-54 Loss to Coppin State

The Hampton Lady Pirates suffered their first MEAC and home loss of the season in a 64-54 defeat at the hands of visiting Coppin State Saturday afternoon at the Hampton Convocation Center.

The Lady Pirates (10-7, 4-1 MEAC), who were 4-0 at home prior to Saturday’s game, trailed 33-31 at the half and couldn’t overcome an overall poor shooting performance. Hampton hit only 27.3 percent of its shots from the field, 14.3 percent from three-point range and 51.2 percent from the free throw line.

The first half started off as a back-and-forth battle between Hampton and the Lady Eagles. However, with 10:37 left in the first half and following four ties, the Lady Pirates found themselves down by eight points.

The Lady Pirates would battle back with an 11-to-2 run to close the gap and take the lead at 24-23 with 5:05 left in the half. But Coppin State seized a two-point lead at intermission.

In the first five minutes of the second half, the Lady Eagles came out on all cylinders, going on a 10-2 run and taking a 10-point lead at 43-33. Coppin State capitalized on missed opportunities by the Lady Pirates and dominated play throughout most of the second half. With 3:09 left in the game, Hampton found themselves down by 12 points.

Leading the way for the Lady Pirates was Rachel Butler, who scored a team-high 15 points. Artavia Burns and Roneisha Corbitt both chipped in 12 points for Hampton. Ashlee Finley dominated the boards with 11 rebounds for the Lady Pirates.

Coppin State, 9-10 overall and 4-2 in MEAC play, was led by Shalamar Oakley, who scored a game-high 24 points. Rashida Suber added 18 points while Whitney Cunningham crashed the boards with 11 rebounds.

The Lady Pirates will take on the Lady Bears of Morgan State on Monday at the Hampton Convocation Center. Tip-off of the “Take-A-Kid-To-The-Game Day” contest is at 6 p.m.