Hampton will compete in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight season, taking on nationally-ranked Duke at 12:05 p.m. in the first round on Sunday at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The game will be televised live on ESPN2.
“We’re certainly going to have a big challenge ahead of us,” head coach David Six, the MEAC Coach of the Year, said, “but a challenge we are ready for.”
The Lady Pirates (28-5), the No. 15 seed in the Norfolk Region, have won 19 straight games after beating Howard 59-38 on March 16 in the championship game of the MEAC Tournament. Hampton has won four straight conference tournament championships, becoming the first MEAC team to accomplish that since Howard from 1987-90.
Four Lady Pirates scored in double figures against Howard, led by senior guard Olivia Allen, who poured in 16 points. Junior forward Alyssa Bennett, the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, added 14 points, while senior forward Keiara Avant scored 12 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
Avant, on top of being named MEAC Player of the Year, was named the MEAC Tournament’s Most Outstanding Performer.
The Lady Pirates lead the nation in scoring defense, giving up just 47.2 points per game. Hampton’s last 11 opponents have failed to reach the 60-point mark, and five of the last six haven’t even reached 40 points.
Hampton is also second in the nation in field goal percentage (.316) and third in 3-point field goal percentage (.238), as of NCAA rankings released back on March 17.
Duke (30-2), the No. 2 seed in the Norfolk Region, swept the ACC regular-season and tournament championships after beating rival North Carolina 92-73 on March 10. Sophomore center Elizabeth Williams and freshman guard Alexis Jones each had 24 points for the Blue Devils.
The Blue Devils are ranked fifth in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Polls.
Four Blue Devils are scoring in double figures, led by Williams, who is averaging 15.4 points per game to go along with 7.2 rebounds per contest. Junior guard Tricia Liston is averaging 13.1 points per game, while junior guard/forward Haley Peters is averaging 12.1 points per game and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per contest.
Hampton is 0-4 all-time against Duke; the Lady Pirates last met the Blue Devils in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament, falling 72-37. Prior to the 2010 meeting, the two teams had not met since the 2033-04 season.
The Lady Pirates are 3-16 all-time against schools currently in the ACC., including a 60-57 win over Boston College earlier this season on Jan. 2.
The Lady Pirates have never faced Clemson, Florida State, or N.C. State.
Under Six, the Lady Pirates are 16-8 on neutral courts over the past three-plus seasons — including a 3-2 record in such games last season. The Lady Pirates won all three MEAC Tournament games last season, and also beat Central Michigan on a neutral court.
The Lady Pirates are 4-4 on neutral courts this season, defeating Evansville 64-45 on Dec. 21, beating Delaware State 63-28 on March 13, Coppin State 78-52 on March 15, and Howard 59-38 on March 16.
Hampton is 0-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re going to have to limit their offensive rebounding, limit our turnovers,” Six said, “obviously defend at a high level, not get overwhelmed by the moment.”
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