HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University women's basketball team picked up its 15th straight win on Monday evening, using a stifling defense to upend Bethune-Cookman 74-28 at the HU Convocation Center.

The Lady Pirates (24-5, 15-0 MEAC) tied the program Div. I record for longest winning streak, joining the 1997-98 Hampton squad that also won 15 straight games. Hampton also allowed the second-fewest points in program history.

Hampton also recorded a season-low in field goal percentage allowed.

Senior forward Keiara Avant (Chesapeake, Va.) recorded her 18th double-double of the season, tops in the MEAC, with 14 points and 12 rebounds, while junior guard Nicole Hamilton (Hampton, Va.) also scored 14 points and dished out a team-high five assists.

Senior guard Olivia Allen (Kildeer, Ill.) poured in 12 points, and junior forward Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) and senior forward Ariel Phelps (Virginia Beach, Va.) each added 10 points.

The Lady Pirates led 11-8 with 14:53 left in the first half, before six straight points put Hampton up 17-8 after a layup from Avant at the 12:05 mark. Rene Chastity Taylor answered with a jumper with 11:41 left in the half – a basket that wound up being B-CU's last field goal of the half.

Sharnese Neal cut Hampton's lead to 20-12 with a pair of free throws at the 7:44 mark, but the Lady Pirates answered with a 15-0 run – including back-to-back 3-pointers from Hamilton – to take a 35-12 lead with 2:43 left in the half.

Shakeyia Colyer hit two free throws to cut the lead to 35-14 at the 2:12 mark, but the Lady Pirates went into the locker room with a 27-14 lead after senior guard JoNiquia Guilford (Chesapeake, Va.) hit two free throws with one second left in the half.

B-CU shot just 18.2 percent (4-for-22) from the floor in the first half.

Hampton opened the second half on a 12-3 run, taking a 49-17 lead with 13:33 left to player after a fast-break layup from Bennett. Neal hit a jumper with 10:11 left to cut that lead to 51-21, but the Lady Pirates answered with a 15-0 run to take a 66-21 lead after an Avant jumper with 4:25 left.

Sophomore guard Kenia Cole (Burtonsville, Md.) hit a trey with 2:37 left to give Hampton a 70-25 lead. B-CU went without a field goal from the 10:11 mark until Neal hit a layup with 1:53 left to cut Hampton's lead to 70-27.

The Lady Pirates shot 48.3 percent (26-for-63) from the floor and hit six of their 21 3-pointers (28.6 percent), while also going 16-for-25 (64.0 percent) from the free throw line. Hampton held a 42-38 edge on the glass, and the Lady Pirates scored 32 points off of 24 B-CU turnovers.

Hampton also outscored B-CU 30-12 in the paint and 19-4 on second-chance opportunities.

The Lady Wildcats (12-15, 7-8 MEAC) shot just 19.0 percent (8-for-42) from the floor and missed all nine of their 3-point attempts. B-CU went 12-for-17 (70.6 percent) from the free throw line.

Neal led B-CU with 12 points.

The Lady Pirates will close out the regular season on Thursday against North Carolina Central at the HU Convocation Center at 6 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.