HAMPTON — A year ago, the Hampton University women’s basketball team spent much of Tamisha Augustin’s debut season trying to build a foundation while absorbing close loss after close loss. Eleven defeats came by 10 points or fewer, a reminder that the Pirates were often competitive but rarely complete.

This fall, they look and feel different.

Augustin overhauled the roster with eight newcomers, strengthened the program’s internal standards and, maybe most importantly, watched a returning core and transfer class blend faster than she expected. The offseason was built on discipline, trust and togetherness, long before any talk of wins or postseason pushes.

“Preseason was really good for us,” Augustin said. “It was about blending our new personalities with our returners. The focus of that

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