DOVER, Del. – In picking up a 78-63 win over Delaware State Monday evening in Memorial Hall, the Hampton University women's basketball team picked up its seventh straight win, wrapping up its regular-season road slate.
 
The Lady Pirates improved to 17-11 overall and 13-2 in MEAC play.
 
Freshman forward Kaylah Lupoe (Phoenix, Ariz.), the reigning MEAC Rookie of the Week, recorded her second straight double-double, pouring in a career-high 25 points on 11-for-17 shooting and grabbing 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas (Harrisburg, Pa.) also had 25 points.
 
Redshirt junior forward Brielle Ward (Baltimore, Md.) also grabbed 11 rebounds.
 
The Lady Pirates shot 42.9 percent (33-for-77) from the floor and made 10 of their 13 free throws (76.9 percent). Hampton dominated the glass to the tune of 50-32 – including a 21-7 edge in offensive rebounds that gave Hampton a 13-0 edge in second-chance points.
 
The Lady Pirates also outscored Delaware State 58-22 in the paint.
 
The Hornets held an early 7-4 lead, before the Lady Pirates scored the next 17 points to take a 21-7 lead with 11:42 left in the first half after a jumper from senior guard Kyani White (Manassas, Va.). Lupoe gave Hampton a 28-11 lead with a 3-point play at the 8:22 mark.
 
Tate-DeFreitas, the reigning MEAC Player of the Week, added a trey at the 6:58 mark to give the Lady Pirates a 31-14 lead.
 
Delaware State then went on an 18-9 run, cutting Hampton's lead to 40-32 with 21 seconds left in the half after a layup from Nikkei Blackburn. But White answered with a jumper in the closing seconds of the half, sending the Lady Pirates into the break with a 42-32 lead.
 
Tate-DeFreitas had 13 points at the half, while Lupoe had 11 points and seven rebounds.
 
A 13-4 run to open the second half gave the Lady Pirates a 55-36 lead after a fastbreak layup from Tate-DeFreitas with 14:48 left to play. Delaware State answered with nine straight points, cutting the lead to 55-45 at the 11:25 mark after a free throw from Amber Bogard.
 
Tierra Hawkins hit two free throws with 8:29 left to cut the lead to 57-49.
 
But Hampton went on an 8-1 run, taking a 65-50 lead with 6:04 remaining after a layup from junior guard Ryan Jordan (Manassas, Va.). The Hornets cut the lead to 65-55, before Hampton answered with a 9-1 run, taking a 74-56 lead with 3:24 left after a jumper from Tate-DeFreitas.
 
A layup from Jordan with 1:04 left put Hampton up 78-58.
 
Delaware State (5-23, 2-13 MEAC) shot 40.0 percent (20-for-50) from the floor and hit six of 15 3-pointers, but the Hornets turned the ball over 22 times – leading to 20 Hampton points.
 
Hawkins led four Hornets in double figures with 14 points.
 
The Lady Pirates will play host to Norfolk State on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. to close out the regular season. 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.