HAMPTON, Va. – Senior guard Morgan Jones filled up the box score with 14 points, six rebounds and five steals in a 60-36 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women's basketball road loss at perennial power Howard University late Monday afternoon.
 
The Pirates, who have won five of the last seven MEAC Tournaments and were picked third in the preseason poll, remained undefeated in the league by forcing the Lady Eagles into a season-high 36 turnovers.  
 
Hampton (10-7 Overall, 4-0 MEAC) shot 34-percent for the game and held NCCU (3-13, 2-2) to 26.8%, while also converting on 20 of 31 (64.5%) opportunities from the free throw line.
 
The Pirates led from the onset, as NCCU committed five turnovers before scoring its first basket on a senior Chantal Thomas runner at the 6:44 mark of the opening quarter. NCCU entered the contest averaging 17.7 turnovers per game, but was forced into 22 mistakes by halftime to trail 36-19 at the midway break.
 
Hampton converted the 22 NCCU first-half turnovers into 22 extra points. The Pirates led by as many as 21 at 32-13 before the Lady Eagles finished the half on an 8-4 run that featured a pair of hoops by Jones.
 
Jones tallied eight points, four steals and three rebounds at the intermission.
 
The hosts started the second half on a 12-0 run in cruising to their fourth straight MEAC win. The Pirates held NCCU scoreless for the first 8:59 of the third quarter before Jones nailed a 3-pointer from the right wing with 1:01 showing on the clock.
 
Jones, who cashed in her second trey at the third-quarter buzzer, has scored in double digits in a dozen games this season, including nine straight contest. The Stockbridge, Georgia, residents five steals were also a career-high total.
 
Junior Monnazjea Finney-Smith paced the victors with a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore K'Lynn Willis scored a team-high 14 points and senior Georgianna Gilbeaux led all players with nine steals.
 
NCCU will try and stay undefeated in MEAC home games when the Lady Eagles host Howard University on Monday, Jan. 23 at 5:30 p.m.