HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University women's basketball team picked up its first conference win of the season on Saturday, as the Lady Pirates opened their 2011-12 home slate with a 73-41 win over South Carolina State at the HU Convocation Center.

The Lady Pirates (5-1, 1-0 MEAC) have won three straight games overall – and 11 straight at home dating back to last season. The win was also the 50th in the young collegiate coaching career of head coach David Six.

Hampton has held four of its six opponents so far this season under 60 points.

Senior guard Jericka Jenkins (Lancaster, Texas), who was honored before the game for eclipsing the 1,000-point milestone on Nov. 26 at IPFW, led three Lady Pirates in double figures with a game-high 19 points to go along with seven assists.

Senior forward Melanie Warner (Tallahassee, Fla.) added 12 points to go along with a team-high six rebounds, while junior forward Ariel Phelps (Virginia Beach, Va.) added 10 points and six rebounds of her own.

Sophomore forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) added nine points, five rebounds, a team-high two blocks and two steals.

South Carolina State jumped out to a 5-1 lead after a Tiara Knotts layup with 17:50 left in the first half, but Hampton answered with a 9-0 run to take a 10-5 lead with 14:32 left in the first half following a tip-in from Phelps.

The Lady Bulldogs closed to within two, 18-16, at the 10:32 mark after a Lauren Johnson 3-pointer, but 10 straight Lady Pirate points - -ending in a trey from senior guard Choicetta McMillian (Fairfield, Texas) – gave Hampton a 28-16 lead with 8:39 left in the half.

Another Phelps tip-in with 20 seconds left in the half sent the Lady Pirates into the intermission with a 38-22 lead.

South Carolina State did not score for the first 3:48 of the second half, until Knotts hit a 3-pointer at the 16:12 mark to cut Hampton's lead to 44-25.

Trinese Fox later hit a pair of free throws at the 14:25 mark to cut Hampton's lead to 48-29, but the Lady Pirates went on a 14-2 run to take a 62-31 lead with 9:43 left to play after McMillian hit three free throws.

Hampton led by as many as 34, going up 73-39 with 51 seconds to play after a layup from junior guard Christina Dellile (Brooklyn, N.Y).

The Lady Pirates shot 39.4 percent (26-for-66) from the floor, while also hitting six of their 10 3-pointers. Hampton also held a 46-35 advantage on the boards, while forcing South Carolina State into 24 turnovers – scoring 32 points off of them.

Hampton also had 22 second-chance points, thanks to 16 offensive rebounds.

The Lady Bulldogs shot just 29.3 percent (12-for-41) from the floor, while also hitting just 13 of their 24 free throws. South Carolina State went just 4-for-21 from the floor in the second half.

Knotts led the Lady Bulldogs (2-4, 0-1 MEAC) with 13 points.

The Lady Pirates will be back in action on Monday, when they welcome Savannah State to the HU Convocation Center at 7 p.m. 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.