Winston-Salem, NC— South Carolina State's remarkable run in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament ended Saturday with a 57-47 loss to second-seeded Hampton in the championship game at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Melanie Warner scored a game-high 17 points and grabbed a career-high16 rebounds and Quanneisha Perry added a double-double of her own with 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Lady Pirates, who will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The pairings will be announced on Monday (7 p.m. on ESPN).

Sophilia Hipps, the lone senior on the SC State squad, had 12 points to lead the Lady Bulldogs. Tiara Knotts came off the bench for 10 points and Paris Alston added nine and a team-high 11 rebounds.

Second-year head coach Doug Robertson's team, which won just six games a year ago, finished the campaign at 14-19. The Lady Bulldogs were in the MEAC Championship game for the first time since the 1992-93 campaign when SC State won the second of consecutive titles.

The duo of Warner and Perry established themselves early by combining to score 18 of their team's points as Hampton led 30-22 at the half.

“Warner and Perry presented a difficult match-up problem for us,” said SC State head coach Doug Robertson.  “It changed some of the things that we like to do.”

The Lady Pirates kept the scrappy Lady Bulldogs (14-19) at arm's length through most of the second half, maintaining an eight to 10-point lead before assuming control of 53-39 at the 4:59 mark.

South Carolina State, which came in as the Number 8 seed, was playing its fourth game in five days.  It showed as the Lady Bulldogs appeared fatigued in the second half and were never able to get close enough to make a run.

“There was a point where we had a chance to get back into the game but we missed seven straight free throws,” said Coach Robertson.  “It made it very difficult for us after that.” 

Equally important in the tournament championship run for Hampton was the play of the tandem of 5-4 sophomore guards Bernadette Fortune and Jerika Lewis, who combined for 17 points and 4 assists and disrupted the Lady Bulldogs' offense.

Hipps, Warner, Wiley and Perry along with Sarah Bolden were named to the all-tournament team.  Warner was named the tournament most outstanding performer and Coach Six was named tournament most outstanding coach.

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