HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University women's basketball team continues to make its presence felt in the NCAA Division I rankings, moving up in several categories.

As of Jan. 23, The Lady Pirates (14-3, 6-0 MEAC), winners of five straight, are third in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage defense, holding teams to just 21.6 percent from behind the arc. Hampton is also fifth in the country in scoring defense, only giving up 49.4 points per contest.

Hampton is 12th in scoring margin, beating opponents by 18.6 points per contest, as well as turnover margin (+6.35), and the Lady Pirates are 16th in both 3-point field goal percentage (37.2 percent) and 3-pointers made per game (7.5).  Hampton is only turning the ball over 14.1 times per game, 17th in the nation.

Opponents are making just 34.4 percent of field goals against the Lady Pirates, the 22nd-best average in the nation, while Hampton is also 22nd in winning percentage (.824).

Hampton is also 26th in free throw percentage, hitting 75.6 percent of shots from the charity stripe.

Senior guard Jericka Jenkins (Lancaster, Texas), the reigning MEAC Player of the Week, is second in the nation in assists with 7.6 per game and 17th in assist-turnover ratio at 2.26.

Senior guard Choicetta McMillian (Fairfield, Texas) is eighth in the nation in 3-pointers made per game, averaging 3.1 treys per contest. Senior forward Melanie Warner (Tallahassee, Fla.) is 25th in the country in free throw percentage at .870.

The Lady Pirates will return to action on Monday, when they take on Howard at the Burr Gymnasium in Washington, D.C. at 7 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.