HAMPTON, Va. – UNCW women's basketball picked up its 10th victory and fourth conference win of the season against Hampton, 66-50, in Coastal Athletic Association action on Sunday afternoon. The Seahawks reached double-digit wins and the most conference wins in a single season for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign.
UNCW improved to 10-10 on the season and 4-3 in the CAA, while Hampton fell to 5-14 and 1-7 in the conference. UNCW also earned its first-ever road win at Hampton, avenging four previous losses. The Seahawks shot 14-of-16 at the charity stripe and held the Pirates to shooting 31% from the field. UNCW outrebounded Hampton, 45-32. The Seahawks' +13 rebound advantage became the most against a Division I opponent this season. UNCW also outscored the Pirates 28-18 in points in the paint and 20-10 in bench points.
Four Seahawks scored in double figures for the third consecutive game. Ali Zelaya posted her second consecutive double-double and fifth of the season with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Zelaya has now scored 10 or more points in five straight games. Jania Hall added 15 points and four rebounds off the bench, totaling 300 career rebounds in the contest. Taylor Henderson finished with 10 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, while Kate Hollifield tallied 10 points and five rebounds.
After each team went scoreless in the first two minutes, the Seahawks went on a 6-0 run with five points from Zelaya, forcing Hampton to take a timeout with 6:41 left in the opening quarter. The Pirates responded with a 9-0 run to take a 14-11 lead late in the quarter. However, UNCW punched back and finished the quarter strong, scoring five unanswered points in the last minute to reclaim the lead, 16-14. The Seahawks held Hampton to shooting 4-of-15 in the first quarter and forced three turnovers.
Both teams' offensive woes continued, as they each scored just four points in the first five minutes of the second quarter. UNCW ended the half positively, leading by as many as nine, to take a 31-24 lead into the break. Hall had 10 points at the half in 12 minutes. Zelaya added seven points and eight rebounds, while Henderson tallied six points and four rebounds in the opening half. The Seahawks held Hampton to shooting 29% on 31 attempts in the first half.
UNCW caught fire over the first five minutes of the third, going 5-of-7 from the field, resulting in their first double-digit lead, 43-32, at the media timeout with 4:53 left in the quarter. Hollifield scored seven points in the third quarter, and UNCW shot 63% from the field and over 83% at the free-throw line to take a 50-41 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Seahawks soared past the Pirates in the fourth quarter in dominating fashion, building the lead to as many as 19 en route to victory.
UP NEXT
UNCW returns to Trask Coliseum on Friday, Jan. 31 for a 7 p.m. game against Hofstra. The Seahawks aim to snap an eight-game losing streak against the Pride. Hofstra has a slight edge in the all-time series, 27-19.
