Box Score HAMPTON, VA --- In its first game against the top team in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the Howard women's basketball team put up a strong fight before succumbing to the Hampton University Lady Pirates, 76-64, on Saturday evening at the Hampton Convocation Center.

Graduate student forward Shavonne Duckett set the pace for Howard (9-13, 5-4 MEAC) for the second straight game, logging game bests of 16 points and seven rebounds. The Landover, MD native – who is no stranger to the Virginia area, having played four years at George Mason University in Fairfax – was perfect from the free throw line (6-of-6) and shot well from the floor (4-of 9; 2-of-3 from three-point range). She also added a pair of assists and a couple of steals.

Redshirt freshman Te'Shya Heslip broke out of her three-game single-digit scoring slump to add 15 points on 50 percent (5-of-10) shooting, including a season high in three-pointers (3). Heslip also grabbed three rebounds, dished out four assists and had a game-high four steals. Sophomore center Victoria Gonzalez also reached double figures, going 4-of-10 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the line to score 12 points.

Howard head coach Tennille Adams found positives in the team's play afterward, saying, "I liked the team's effort as a whole today. We did some good things, but at the end of the day, you can't make mistakes against great teams."

After Hampton (19-4, 10-0 MEAC) scored the first two baskets of the game, Howard took less than a minute to put up a quick 6-1 run and take a 6-5 lead at the 16:57 mark.

What ensued over the next 4:22 was a back and forth, three-on-one three point battle; starting with a triple from Hampton guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas, both teams alternated a total of six consecutive three-pointers – three by three different Lady Bison against three from Tate-DeFreitas. Junior forward Cheyenne Brown nailed the last shot in the sequence to hold the Lady Bison's one point edge, 15-14, with 12:16 remaining.

Both HUs would play the next eight and a half minutes even (14-14) as a free throw from freshman guard Jasmine Hill kept a one-point cushion (29-28) for Howard with 3:32 left in the half. Hampton would double Howard in points (8-4) to end the period and take a 36-33 lead at the break.

After Hampton scored the first points of the second half, Howard would outscore the Lady Pirates 10-5 over the next four and a half minutes to tie the game at 43-43. However, the Lady Bison would finally fold to the defending conference champions as Hampton outscored HU 33-21 over the final 12:43 of the game, including a 21-9 surge after the game's final tie.

Hampton guard Kenia Cole led the Lady Pirates with 24 points.

HU will finish its Virginia road trip with a matchup at Norfolk State on Monday, February 10 at 6 pm.