Ardossi finished the game nine-of-12 from the field with eight rebounds and four steals. Deja Foster scored 10 points and grabbed nine boards and Alex Montgomery added 12 points off the bench for the Yellow Jackets.
"I give Hampton a lot of credit," head coach MaChelle Joseph said. "It is obvious why they played for their conference championship a year ago. I was very proud of our veterans down the stretch. Brigitte, Deja and Alex all made huge plays. Brigitte continues to be a dominant factor in every game. I am pleased with her consistency."
The Lady Pirates (3-8) battled Tech (11-2) the entire first half but a Montgomery three-point field with 30 seconds remaining gave the Yellow Jackets a 28-27 advantage going into the locker room. Ardossi led Tech with 12 points on a perfect six-of-six shooting from the field.
The Yellow Jackets opened the second half on a 5-0 run but Hampton answered, eventually taking a 43-42 lead with 9:05 remaining in the game. Tech, led by three Montgomery three-pointers, would go on a 13-0 run over the next five minutes to open a 55-43 advantage.
The Lady Pirates would not go away, closing the gap with an 8-2 run of their own to bring the score to 57-51 with 2:50 on the clock. Ardossi scored the final six points as the Jackets were able to hold on for the win.
Hampton got 11 points each from Quanneisha Perry and Bernadette Fortune. Jerika Jenkins added nine points off the bench for the Lady Pirates.
The Yellow Jackets will continue play at the 25th annual FIU Sun & Fun Classic Tuesday afternoon in the championship game against Florida International. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Brigitte Ardossi
http://accesswdun.com/article/2009/12/225821