The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
Hampton
Women's Basketball Slides Past Hampton, 43-38
12/19/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB women's basketball team out-dueled Hampton, 43-38, on Monday night at Bartow Arena in a matchup of two of the top five statistical defenses in the country.
UAB sophomore forward Karisma Chapman scored a game-high 15 points as the Blazers (8-2) extended their winning streak to seven games, the longest for the program since the beginning of the 1994-95 season. That year was also the last time UAB won at least eight of its first 10 games.
Hampton (7-2), an NCAA tournament team from last year and the preseason MEAC favorite, had its own five-game winning streak snapped with Monday's loss.
Neither team came into the game allowing more than 48 points on average, but Monday's contest was even more defensive than anticipated as the squads combined for 81 points and just under 28 percent shooting. The Blazers, which have been stingy all season, limited Hampton to 23.9 percent for the game, the lowest of any UAB opponent this season.
"We knew it was going to be tough," UAB head coach Audra Smith said. "Neither team scores a lot of points. Our team has a lot of resiliency and sometimes I just have to remind them to just play hard, play tough, stick to what we do, and that's defend and rebound."
UAB held Hampton scoreless for nearly 10 minutes of the first half and kept the Lady Pirates to just one field goal in the first 13 and a half minutes of the game, but a late first-half rally cut the Blazers' lead to 19-16 at the break.
UAB built its lead to 12 midway through the second half, but Hampton chopped it all the way to one at 36-35 on a layup by Nicole Hamilton with 3:58 to play. Delia Brunson then missed a pair of free throws that could have given Hampton the lead.
LaShaunda Pratt followed with key plays on back-to-back possessions for UAB, knocking down a contested jumper and driving the lane to find Meagan Brown for a lay-in that extended the lead back to five at 40-35.
A 3-pointer by Hampton's Jericka Jenkins trimmed UAB's advantage to 40-38, but two more 3-point attempts by the Lady Pirates in the final minute would not fall. Free throws by Chapman and Michaelea Kleist sealed the win for UAB.
Pratt finished with 10 points for the Blazers, while Kleist pulled in a game-high and career-best 10 rebounds. Jenkins led Hampton with 13 points, followed by Melanie Warner with 10.
"Michalea did an unbelievable job on the glass tonight," Smith said. "She's a defensive presence and a very good rebounder, and she has really earned her playing time because of her rebounding and the problems she causes for other teams with her length."
The Blazers are now off for 10 days for the holidays before returning to action Dec. 30 with a road game at Clemson. The contest with the Tigers is one of two remaining non-conference games for the Blazers.
