Final Stats

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The Pirates and the Bulldogs pushed it to the limit Saturday night in a game that had nine lead changes and six ties in a 74-71 overtime victory for the Bulldogs in SHM Memorial Center on the campus of South Carolina State University.

 

“I thought that the guys did a great job tonight, but this is a game that we need to learn and grow from and move on as a team,” said Pirates head coach Kevin Nickelberry.

 

Hampton falls to 11-13 overall and 5-6 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play, while the Bulldogs improve to 12-11 overall and claim a share of second place in the conference with a 6-5 mark.

 

In the first half, the Pirates overcame a 10-point deficit, with the score at 18-8 in favor of the Bulldogs with 13:44 remaining in the half. The Pirates, led by senior Donte Harrison (Brooklyn, N.Y.), who led Hampton with seven points, would go on a 13-0 run over the span of nine minutes to take the lead at 21-18.

 

Hampton shot 44.8 percent from the floor in the first half and made 13-of-29 shots from the floor, which was good enough to head into the half with 34-27 lead over the Bulldogs.

 

South Carolina State shot 45.8 percent from the floor and 50 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

 

The Pirates were led by sophomore Brandon Tunnell (Wilmington, Del.), who scored 14 points, while junior Michael Freeman (Alexandria, Va.) pulled in 11 boards and scored nine points. Theo Smalling (Tampa, Fla.) snatched 10 rebounds and scored seven points on the night for the Pirates. 

 

South Carolina State finished the night with four players in double figures. The Bulldogs were led by Jessie Burton, who scored a game-high 18 points on the night. He was aided by Jimmy Williams, who dropped 17 on the night, and Carrio Bennett and Jason Flagler both had 14 points in the win.

 

“We have to now look ahead, as we have six games left and the tournament and we need to just come together and play as a unit,” said Nickelberry.

 

The Pirates will be back in action on Monday night when they face the Rams of Winston-Salem State in Winston-Salem, N.C. with a game time of 7:30 p.m.

 

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.