CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — An 18-7 run in the last 6:29 enabled Hampton to score a season opening win over North Carolina 70-66 on Friday at Carmichael Arena.
The win was the first ever over UNC and the 11th for David Six against “Power Five” conferences. The last win for Hampton against a Power Five school was against Wake Forest 47-42 on Dec. 28, 2015.
Hampton used a 10-0 run in the first quarter to take a 17-8 lead on a Mikayla Sayle jumper with 3:37 left. The Lady Pirates pushed the lead to 10 points as late as 1:44 left in the half on a Monnazjea Finney-Smith 3-pointer.
In the third quarter, UNC used a 7-0 run midway through the period to take a 47-43 lead with 3:05 left on a Jocelyn Jones free throw. Jephany Brown hit a 3-pointer from the wing with 22 seconds left in the quarter to take a 49-47 lead. Paris Kea beat the third quarter buzzer with a jumper to tie the game 49-all.
In the fourth, the Tar Heels opened with a 10-3 to lead 59-52 on a Kea free throw with 6:29 left. Hampton responded with three straight 3-pointers by K’Lynn Willis and two from Finney-Smith to retake the lead 61-59 with 4:33 left.
A Jones jumper with 3:02 left put Carolina up 65-63. Hampton scored six straight points between Brown and Finney-Smith to take a 69-65 lead on a Brown free throw with one minute left.
Finney-Smith topped the team with 25 points and hit 7-of-12 from 3-point range to lead four in double figures. Brown had 16 points and eight rebounds, Allina Start had 11 points and eight assists with James scoring 10 and five assists.
As a team Hampton hit 50% from the floor (28-56), 45.8% from 3-point range (11-24).
The Lady Pirates now return to North Carolina next Friday to face Elon on Nov. 17.
Courtesy: Hampton Athletics
