New York, N.Y. – The Pirates of Hampton University faced off against the Bison of Howard University at Madison Square Garden in the 2008 Big Apple Classic on Saturday, where Hampton came out on top 45-39 in one of the ugliest victories of the season. The Pirates improved to 5-3 on the season and 1-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, while the Bison suffered their sixth straight loss of the season and dropped to 1-6 on the year and 0-1 in MEAC play.

 

“We just did whatever it took to win,” said Pirates head coach Kevin Nickelberry. “I thought we had a strong defensive effort and we never let them get on-track. I was proud of my guys that we kept on fighting on the defensive side. Last year we were one of the top defensive teams in the country, so that’s what we pride ourselves on.”

 

Hampton shot just 33.3 percent from the floor in the first half and the defense was able to hold Howard to just 19 percent shooting from the floor. The Pirates held on enough to go into the half ahead of the Bison 21-17.

 

“We just could not get any shots to fall for us in the first half, but the good thing was that they were not making them either,” said Nickelberry.

 

The Pirates came back in the second half and make 6-of-18 shots on just 33.3 percent shooting from the floor in the half. Howard did not bow out, as they shot 47.4 percent from the floor making 9-of-19 shots from the floor.

 

The difference-maker in the game for the Pirates was that they made 11-of-16 free throws down the stretch, while the Bison only made 3-of-11 and missed their final six free throws. Hampton was 66.7 percent from the charity stripe on the night.

 

“We all know that free throws win ball games and that was the case with us tonight down the stretch and that was key for us in winning this ball game,” said Nickelberry.

 

Hampton was led by junior guard Vincent Simpson (Philadelphia, Pa.), who scored game-high 16 points, while the Bison were led by Paul Kirkpatrick, who scored 10 points in the effort for Howard.

 

The Pirates will return to action on Tuesday, as they host the Blue Hens of the University of Delaware at home with a tip-off time of 7:00 p.m. This game will be the Pirates’ first game back at the Hampton University Convocation Center since a November win over George Mason.

 

For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.