WASHINGTON, D.C. – Junior guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas had yet another monster game at Burr Gymnasium on Monday evening, but it wasn't enough as Howard defeated the Hampton University women's basketball team 83-77 in overtime.
 
The Lady Pirates (10-13, 8-2 MEAC) had their six-game winning streak snapped and lost to Howard for the first time in the last 16 meetings between the two teams.
 
Tate-DeFreitas dropped a season-high 37 points, recording her fourth 30-point game of the season, on 11-for-31 shooting and a 13-for-17 effort from the free throw line. She also grabbed nine rebounds, while freshman guard K'lynn Willis added 14 points.
 
Sophomore forward Mikayla Sayle grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds, while senior guard Kristine Rose grabbed 10 boards.
 
The Lady Pirates shot 32.9 percent (26-for-79) from the floor – including a 15-for-34 clip (44.1 percent) in the second half – despite hitting just six of their 23 3-pointers (26.1 percent). Hampton held a 59-51 advantage on the glass.
 
Tate-DeFreitas gave the Lady Pirates a 66-65 lead with a 3-point play with 1:47 left in regulation, marking the first of five lead changes in the end of the fourth quarter. After Howard took a 67-66 lead, Tate-DeFreitas hit a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left to put Hampton on top 68-67.
 
But Te'Shya Heslip hit two free throws of her own two seconds later, putting Howard on top 69-68. Tate-DeFreitas answered with a floater with seven seconds remaining, giving the Lady Pirates a 70-69 lead.
 
Heslip hit one of two free throws with one second left to force overtime.
 
Tate-DeFreitas gave Hampton the first lead of overtime, 72-70, with two free throws – before Howard scored the next six points to take a 76-72 lead. Tate-DeFreitas hit two more free throws with 1:27 left to cut the lead to 77-76.
 
But Howard ended the game on a 7-1 run to clinch the win.
 
Hampton held a 16-8 lead late in the first quarter, but Howard went on a 10-2 run that extended into the second quarter, tying the game at 18-18 after a layup from Jasmine Hill at the 6:15 mark. Hampton scored the next eight points, going up 26-18 with 4:11 left in the half following a Tate-DeFreitas layup.
 
A Tate-DeFreitas 3-point play with 2:13 left in the half gave Hampton a 29-21 lead, but the Bison closed the frame on an 8-0 run to tie the game at 29-29 at the half.
 
Tate-DeFreitas had 13 points at the half.
 
There were nine lead changes in the third quarter, and Howard led 54-52 at the end of the frame after Tajzhane Dopson converted a 3-point play with 10 seconds left.
 
But Tate-DeFreitas opened the fourth quarter with a three, kicking off a 9-2 Hampton run that gave the Lady Pirates a 61-56 lead with 6:40 left in regulation.
 
Howard (4-18, 2-7 MEAC) shot 39.4 percent (28-for-71) from the floor – including a 48.2 percent clip (13-for-27) in the second half. The Bison made four of 15 3-pointers.
 
Heslip led Howard with 22 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists.
 
The Lady Pirates will return to the Convocation Center on Monday, Feb. 15 to take on Morgan State. 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.