Games Notes
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Hampton University women’s basketball team (11-10, 7-3 MEAC) will try to make it six wins in a row against the Lady Rams of Winston-Salem State (2-20) on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at the Clarence E. Gaines Center.
Hampton made it five wins in a row against the Lady Bulldogs of South Carolina State with a 67-47 win at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center on Saturday. The Lady Pirates were led in scoring and rebounding by Quanneisha Perry, with 20 points and six boards. Laura Lewis had 16 points, five rebounds, three assists, and had a career-high four 3-pointers made. Melanie Warner also contributed with 10 points, six rebounds and a team-high four steals.
The Lady Pirates shot 47.2 percent from the floor, which is their second highest this season and shot 88.9 percent from the free-throw line, which is highest team percentage this year.
The Lady Pirates are 20-3 all-time against Winston-Salem State. Hampton has won the last four meetings against the Lady Rams, including last year’s 65-48 win at the Clarence E. Gaines Center on Feb. 17, 2009.
After doubling their win total from the previous season, the Lady Rams will look for much more in the upcoming 2009-10 season. The 2009-10 Lady Rams represent the culmination of a three-year building process. Two seasons ago, the Lady Rams were the youngest team in the country, but now the team is experienced and ready for a breakout effort this season. With five juniors and five sophomores, the 2009-10 team will be the most cohesive unit in the three years under head coach Dee Stokes The 2009-10 backcourt for the Lady Rams will feature offense with the tandem of junior Rene Rector and redshirt-junior MaLisa Bumpus leading the WSSU attack.
The two players combined to average 22.3 points per game last season, nearly a third of the Lady Rams' total offensive output for the season. Also returning will be redshirt-junior MaLisa Bumpus. She will give the team an offensive punch this season. She is a talented scorer that can strike from anywhere on the court. For the season, she averaged a team-best 12.2 points per game, but saw action in just 19 games.
Leading the way for the Lady Rams in the frontcourt will be junior forward Vontisha Woods, the team's leading rebounder for the past two seasons and the top scoring threat in the frontcourt. She is a tall, quick player who could be one of the best pure athletes on the team with her combination of quickness and range. For her career, Woods is averaging just below a double-double with 9.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game.
Vontisha Woods is currently leading the team in scoring and rebounds, averaging 10.7 and 8.2 per contest.
Winston-Salem State is only averaging 49 points per game on offense, while allowing its opponents to score 70.5 per game. They are shooting 34 percent from the field, but allowing teams to shoot 45 percent from the floor.
Lady Pirates basketball games can be heard live on WHOV 88.1 FM, with Shamar Woods and Rod Pinckney calling all the action. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call Derrick Coles, Assistant Sports Information Director, at (757) 727-5906, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.