Game Notes

NORFOLK, Va. – The Hampton University women's basketball team, the No. 3 seed, will take on No. 2 seed North Carolina A&T in the semifinals of the 2016 MEAC Tournament on Friday at 2 p.m. in the Norfolk Scope Arena.
 
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At Stake: A spot in Saturday's championship game against either No. 4 Coppin State or No. 9 South Carolina State.
 
Last Time Out: The Lady Pirates (14-16) defeated Howard 64-58 in the quarterfinal round on Thursday. Sophomore forward Mikayla Sayle led Hampton with a career-high 16 points and 10 rebounds, while junior guard Malia Tate-DeFrietas added 15 points, nine boards, and eight assists. Sophomore forward Kaylah Lupoe added 12 points and 10 boards, and senior guard Areana Davis chipped in 10 points.
 
The Series: The Lady Pirates are 23-13 against North Carolina A&T, and they have won the last six meetings between the two teams after a 55-52 win over the Aggies in Greensboro, N.C. on Jan. 16.
    
Scouting the Aggies: North Carolina A&T (17-11), in its fourth season under head coach Tarrell Robinson, advanced to the MEAC Tournament semifinals with a 67-50 win over Florida A&M on Wednesday. Aprill McRae leads the team in both scoring (13.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg), and Dana Brown is averaging 12.8 points per contest.
 
Lady Pirates Against the MEAC: Hampton is 338-146 against teams currently in the MEAC — including a 23-13 mark against North Carolina A&T — and the Hampton has won eight MEAC regular-season titles to go along with eight tournament titles, including five of the last six.
 
Lady Pirates on Neutral Courts: The Lady Pirates are 3-0 on neutral courts this season, boasting wins over both Wake Forest and Rhode Island to win the FIU Surfing Santa Classic back on Dec. 28-29. Overall, Hampton is 27-11 on neutral courts under head coach David Six, including 16 wins in the MEAC Tournament over that span. Heading into the semifinals of the 2016 MEAC Tournament, the Lady Pirates boast a 16-1 record in conference tournament games during Six's tenure.
   
Picked to Finish Second: Hampton has been picked to finish second in the MEAC this season in a preseason poll voted on by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. The Lady Pirates were regular-season champions for the fifth straight year last season after going 14-2 in league play. For the second straight season, North Carolina A&T was chosen to win the MEAC.
 
Postseason Honors: After being named the MEAC Rookie of the Year in 2013-14, Tate-DeFreitas has been named the conference's Player of the Year each of the past two seasons. This season, she leads the MEAC and ranks 14th in the nation in scoring, averaging 21.4 points per game. Her 2.6 steals per contest are 28th-best among all Div. I players, and she ranks second in the conference in that category. Tate-DeFreitas has five 30-point games so far this season, and she was a six-time MEAC Player of the Week during the regular season. In addition, Lupoe was a Third Team All-MEAC selection and freshman guard K'lynn Willis was named to the All-Rookie Team.
 
Tate-DeFreitas Moving on Up: After the MEAC Tournament quarterfinals, junior guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas is third on the Lady Pirates' all-time scoring list with 1,912 career points — after just two-plus seasons of play. The two-time MEAC Player of the Year is averaging 20.1 points in 95 career games thus far, and she is 55 points shy of second on the list (LaShondra Dixon-Gordon, 1999-2003, 1,967 career points). Jackie Dolberry (1985-89) is the program's all-time leading scorer with 2,727 career points. LaShondra Dixon-Gordon (1999-2003) is the program's all-time Div. I leading scorer, ranking second overall with 1,967 career points.
 
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.