By james art 
Hampton, Washington – UNCW women’s basketball picked up its 10th win 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 wins in a single season in the conference 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 victory in Hampton, avenging four previous losses. The Seahawks shot 14-for-16 at the charity stripe and held the Pirates to 31 percent shooting from the field. UNCW outshot Hampton, 45-32. The Seahawks’ +13 rebounding 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 points off the bench.
Four Seahawks scored in double figures for the third straight game. Ali Zelaya posted his second straight 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. Yania Hall Added 15 points and four rebounds off the bench. Taylor Henderson finished with 10 points and eight rebounds while Kate Holyfield I had 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 call 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 hit back and finished the quarter strong, scoring five unanswered points in the final minute to regain the lead, 16-14. The Seahawks held Hampton to 4-of-15 shooting 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 finished the half on a positive note, leading by as many as nine to take a 31-24 lead into the break. Hall had 10 halftime points in 12 minutes. Zelaya added seven points and eight rebounds, while Henderson collected six points and four rebounds in the opening half. The Seahawks held Hampton to 29 percent shooting on 31 attempts in the first half.
UNCW caught fire in the first five minutes of the third, going 5-of-7 from the field to take their first double-digit lead, 43-32, into the media timeout with 4:53 left in the quarter. Holyfield scored seven points in the third quarter and UNCW shot 63 percent from the field and over 83 percent at the free throw line to take a 50-41 lead into the fourth quarter. The Seahawks rallied past the Pirates in the fourth quarter in dominant fashion, building the lead to 19 en route to the victory.
Forward
UNCW returns to Trask Coliseum on Friday, Jan. 31 for a 7 p.m. Game vs. Hofstra. The Seahawks are aiming to snap an eight-game losing streak against the Pride. Hofstra holds a slight edge in the all-time series, 27-19.