Box Score

Hampton, Va. – In a game that featured 55 fouls, 68 free throws and 49 turnovers, it was no surprise that it took overtime to decide the outcome as Hampton edged visiting Florida A&M 74-72 Monday night at the HU Convocation Center. The win was the third straight for Hampton and first-year head coach Kevin Nickelberry, marking the Pirates’ longest winning streak of the season. Pirate freshman Mike Freeman scored 21 of his game-high 23 points in the final 25 minutes to compensate for the first half ejection of his frontcourt mate Matt Pilgrim. Pilgrim was tossed at the 13:24 mark of the first half for allegedly throwing an elbow at a Rattler defender.

Despite leading 38-36 at the half the Pirates (10-12, 6-5 MEAC) had no answer for the inside game of the Rattlers. Florida A&M (13-11, 7-4 MEAC) pounded the ball inside throughout the second half to Rome Sanders (18 points) and Darius Glover (10 points), eventually building a 60-52 lead on a layup by Sanders. The Rattlers would eventually hold a 40-22 scoring advantage in the paint.

Hampton countered with Freeman who was the only low-post presence remaining for the Pirates with the ejection of Pilgrim and Theo Smalling in foul trouble. Freeman directed a 12-4 Hampton run over the final five minutes scoring 10 points himself, the final two on a layup with 48 seconds to play that tied the game at 64.

Both teams had a chance to win the game in regulation, but E.J. Maul turned the ball over for the Rattlers and Rashad West’s runner sailed long for the Pirates.

Hampton took control in overtime thanks to back-to-back baskets from Smalling and Freeman that put the Pirates ahead 70-66 with 3:27 remaining. Lamar Twitty responded for Florida A&M by taking an inbounds pass and dribbling the length of the floor through the entire HU defense for a driving layup over the Pirates’ Kevin Clark.

However, free throw shooting down the stretch pushed Hampton over the top. The Pirates had shot just 18-of-31 (.581) from the line through the end of regulation, but Rashad West and Vincent Simpson each knocked down a pair to give HU a comfortable 74-69 lead with 25 seconds on the clock.

Leslie Robinson (12 points) nailed his third three-pointer of the game on the ensuing possession, but the Rattlers ran out of time.

In addition to the 23 points from Freeman the Pirates got 22 from West and a career-high 10 rebounds from freshman Theo Smalling.