ORANGEBURG, SC – Hampton used a 15-0 run with just under 13 minutes to play to break open a close game and went on to a 77-59 victory over host South Carolina State Saturday at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

           For the second straight season, the SC State women wore pink uniforms in support of the WBCA Pink Zone (formerly “Think Pink).

           SC State's Sophilia Hipps had 16 points to lead all scorers. Jenell Moore chipped in 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds, and Shontay Wiley contributed 11 points and seven boards in the loss, the fourth in a row for Coach Doug Robertson's team.

Freshman guard LaTeia Brailey had a career-high eight assists for the Lady Bulldogs, who fell to 5-17 overall and 2-9 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

            Bernadette Fortune had 13 points and six assists to lead Hampton. Quanneisha Perry added 12 points and a game-high 12 rebounds and Ashlee Finley 11 points for the Lady Pirates, who improved to 10-12 and 7-4 in the MEAC.

            The visitors, ahead 49-44 with 12:44 on the clock, scored 15 unanswered points to take a 63-44 advantage with 8:31 remaining. Hipps got a 3-pointer for SC State at the 8:12 mark to check the rally and pull the host to within 63-47.

            The closest SC State managed to come after that was 10 points, at 71-61 with 3:38 left on the clock.

            The Lady Bulldogs only led three times in the contest, in each instance just by one point, the last time 17-16 when Moore made two free throws with 11:55 left in the opening half. Hampton led 41-35 at the half.

            The Lady Bulldogs return to action Monday when they host Howard in the first game of a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference doubleheader, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

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