Box Score
HAMPTON, Va. – Kwame Morgan scored a game-high 20 points, and host Hampton held on late for a 63-56 win over Norfolk State before 5,765 fans on Saturday evening at the HU Convocation Center.
Morgan scored 10 points in each half, and Darrion Pellum added 16 for the Pirates (13-4, 3-1 MEAC). Kyle O'Quinn led NSU with 19 points, seven rebounds and a pair of blocked shots.
Hampton missed 14 of its first 15 shots before Morgan hit 3-pointers on back-to-back Pirate possessions to give the Pirates an 11-10 edge with 9:57 left in the first half. But consecutive 3-point plays by Pendarvis Williams and Aleek Pauline put the Spartans back ahead by five at 16-11.
Pellum cut NSU's lead to 18-17 after a jumper with 6:49 remaining in the half, but the Spartans went on an 8-0 run to take their largest, 26-17 with 3:20 left before the half. Pauline started the run with a 3-pointer, Rob Hampton hit a driving layup, and O'Quinn and Brandon Goode combined to hit three free throws in the spurt.
The second half was extremely tight, with two ties and three lead-changes. Neither team led by more than seven – that being the final margin.
Hampton, which trailed 27-23 at the break, took the lead early in the second half when Brandon Tunnell drained an open 3-pointer from the left wing for a 28-27 advantage.
But NSU surged back into the lead as Tim Zephyr hit a jumper and O'Quinn threw down a one-handed jam on a fast break. Hampton reclaimed the lead at 35-33 on a steal and dunk by Tunnell with 14:16 remaining.
Each time the Spartans got close to seizing momentum, the Pirates had the answer. Rob Hampton brought NSU within 45-43, but Morgan answered with two free throws. Hampton then hit a short leaner in the lane for NSU, but Morgan responded with a 3-pointer to stretch the Pirate lead to five, 50-45.
The Spartans were finally able to tie the game at 54-all when O'Quinn made 1-of-2 from the line with 2:06 left in the game. But Tunnell gave HU the lead once again on a foul shot with 1:28 left. After Pauline missed a layup, Chris Tolson hit two more free throws with 1:17 remaining to stretch the lead to three, 57-54.
Pellum's two free throws made it 59-54, but NSU was able to cut its deficit back to three on Zephyr's tip-in with 27 seconds left.
The Pirates, though, were able to beat NSU's full-court defensive pressure, and Pellum scored on a transition layup to make it 61-56. Tolson made two more free throws in the closing seconds to seal the win.
NSU limited HU to 34 percent shooting, but the Spartans committed 18 turnovers and missed 15 of their 16 3-point attempts.
Pauline was the only other Spartan in double figures, with 17 points. He also grabbed seven rebounds, had three assists, and tallied three steals.
The Spartans look to get back on the winning track in a televised game at Howard University on Monday. Tip-off is at 9 p.m. in Washington, D.C., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPNU.
