HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University women's basketball team led for much of the first half in its home opener on Tuesday against Washington State, but the Cougars took control before halftime en route to a 74-60 win at the HU Convocation Center.
 
The Lady Pirates fell to 0-4 on the season.
 
Sophomore guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) led the Lady Pirates with 20 points, hitting three of her six 3-pointers, while senior guard Kenia Cole (Silver Spring, Md.) added 13 points and a career-high eight assists.
 
Redshirt junior forward Tyler Hobgood (Oxford, N.C.) grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds. Redshirt junior forward Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md.) grabbed eight rebounds to go along with seven points.
 
The Lady Pirates shot 33.9 percent (21-for-62) from the floor and made seven of their 21 3-pointers (33.3 percent). Hampton out-rebounded the Cougars (4-1) 43-41.
 
The Lady Pirates opened the game on a 9-3 run, taking that lead at the 16:34 mark after a jumper in the paint from junior guard Blake Jenkines (Clarksville, Tenn.). A trey from Tate-DeFreitas with 15:53 left in the half put Hampton up 12-6.
 
The Cougars went on a 6-0 run to tie the game at 12-12, before Tate-DeFreitas hit another 3-pointer at the 14:06 mark to give the Lady Pirates a 15-12 lead.
 
Tia Presley hit two free throws with 7:36 left in the half to give Washington State a 23-21 lead and cap an 11-6 spurt, before Hampton scored five straight to take a 26-23 lead with 4:30 left in the half following a layup from Tate-DeFreitas.
 
But that was Hampton's last field goal of the half, and Washington State closed the frame on an 11-0 run to take a 34-26 lead into the locker room.
 
Hampton opened the second half with a 7-2 run, cutting the Cougars' lead to 36-33 after a 3-pointer from senior guard Kyani White (Manassas, Va.). Presley hit a trey to grow the lead to 41-33, before a Lady Pirates 8-0 run tied the game at 41-41 after senior guard Jackie Marshall (Hackensack, N.J.) hit a 3-pointer with 13:20 remaining.
 
Hobgood hit two free throws with 12:34 left to tie the game at 43-43.
 
Washington State answered with a 14-1 run, taking a 57-44 lead with 8:04 remaining. The Cougars' largest lead came with 1:51 left, when Presley hit a jumper to give Washington State a 72-54 lead.
 
The Cougars shot 44.3 percent (27-for-61) from the floor and made five of 18 3-pointers (27.8 percent).
 
Presley led Washington State with 36 points.
 
The Lady Pirates will kick off a three-game road swing on Tuesday, when they head to Bethlehem, Pa. to take on Lehigh at 11 a.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.