Hot Second Half Lifts No. 13 Hofstra Over No. 12 Hampton in First Round of CAA Championship
Hunter Peters
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WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 13, 2024) – A 25-point third quarter propelled No. 13 Hofstra to a 71-55 victory over No.12 Hampton in the first round of the CAA Women’s Basketball Championship presented by Primis Wednesday afternoon at the Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, D.C.
The Pride (10-20) won its first game at the conference tournament for the fourth straight season, advancing to face No. 5 William & Mary in the second round tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. Hampton concludes the year 3-26 after the setback.
Alarice Gooden came off the bench to score a career-high 19 points, leading four in double figures for Hofstra. Brooke Anya and Emma Von Essen each scored 10 points in the second half, totaling 14 and 12 for the game. In addition, Zyheima Swint tallied a double-double with 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Cheyenne Talbot had a team-high 18 points, adding five rebounds, and Camryn Hill contributed 10 points for the Lady Pirates.
Hofstra shot 60.7 percent (17-28) after halftime, shooting 45.6 percent (26-57) for the game while limiting Hampton to 33.9 percent (19-56) from the floor. In addition, Hofstra scored 32 points off 22 Hampton miscues in the contest.
Hofstra came alive in the third, shooting 64.3 percent (9-14) out of the break and outscored Hampton 25-12 in the frame. The Pride gained momentum with an 18-2 run, connecting on eight consecutive field goals, to gain a 42-27 advantage. Von Essen had eight points during the span, knocking down a pair of trifectas. Hampton scored six of the final eight points, but Hofstra took a 46-35 lead into the fourth.
The Pride put the game out of reach with a 9-0 run at the beginning of the fourth, gaining its largest lead at 55-36. Gooden had five points during the run, knocking down a three before a steal and a layup on consecutive possessions. Ten points was as close as Hampton would get the rest of the way.
The pace picked up in the final three minutes of the first half as the teams traded 6-0 spurts before a free throw from Gooden pulled Hofstra within two, 23-21, at halftime. Hampton pushed its lead to 17-14 after a pair of technical free throws from Hill before the Pride responded with six straight points. The ensuing six points went to the Lady Pirates, ending with back-to-back layups from Talbot.
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