Washington, DC – The Hofstra women's basketball team outscored Hampton 50-32 and shot 60.7% from the floor in the second half as the Pride knocked out the Lady Pirates, 71-55, to advance past the First Round of the 2024 CAA Women's Basktball Championship from Entertainment & Sports Arena in Washington, DC.
 
The #13 seed in the championship, Hofstra moves on to face #5 seed William & Mary in the Second Round of the CAA Championship on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
 
Hofstra improves to 10-20 on the season, snapping a six-game losing streak in the process, and Hampton's season concludes with at 3-26.
 
The Pride had four players finish in double figures in the win, with Alarice Gooden leading the way with a career-high 19 points on a season-best 5-10 from the floor and 2-4 from beyond the arc. Also scoring in double-digits was Brooke Anya with 14 points, Emma Von Essen with 12 points, and Zyheima Swint with 10. Swint also pulled down 13 rebounds for her fifth double-double of the season, and Ally Knights recorded eight assists and five steals.
 
After a low-scoring 9-6 first quarter that saw Hofstra trailing, the Pride opened up a 6-2 run to start the second quarter and take its first lead of the game since Swint converted the opening layup. Hampton responded with two consecutive layups to retake the lead with 3:49 to go until halftime. After an Anya layup and a pair of Hampton free throws kept the difference at three points, Gooden rattled in four straight points to retake the lead for Hofstra, and a driving layup by Knights gave the Pride a three-point lead. Hampton scored six unanswered points to take a three-point lead with time winding down. Gooden converted one of two free throws to bring the Pride to within two at the break.
 
Hofstra roared out of the locker room and took the lead for good with a 10-2 run to open the third quarter, putting the Pride on top 31-25. Hampton ended the run with a two at 5:21 on the clock, but Hofstra erupted for 11 unanswered points to lead by 15 while keeping Hampton scoreless for close to three minutes until Le'Asia Foreman ended Hofstra's rally with a layup. After both sides traded possessions with points, Hofstra led by 11 going into the final frame.
 
After Cheyenne Talbot brought the Lady Pirates to within 10 with a free throw, Hofstra responded with nine consecutive points, including five points in 10 seconds by Gooden on a three-pointer and a steal-and-score layup. The Pride's lead never dropped below 10 points for the remainder of the quarter as the buzzer sounded on Hampton's 2024 season.
Talbot led Hampton with 18 points, and Camryn Hill finished with 10.
 
Thursday's game will air on FloHoops and WRHU HAWC.
 
NOTES:
-Hofstra improves to 2-3 all-time against Hampton following Wednesday's win.
-Gooden set career-highs with a 7-8 performance from the free throw line.
-The Pride are now 5-3 when Anya finishes in double figures.
-Hofstra has now won at least one CAA Championship game for the fifth time in six seasons.
-Hofstra outrebounded Hampton, 40-36, and doubled Hampton's steal total, 16-8.