Final Stats
HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team started 2010 strong, beating the Rams of Fordham University 78-54 at the HU Convocation Center on Sunday night.
It was Hampton's largest margin of victory since the Pirates beat Howard 65-31 on Dec. 1, 2007. The Pirates also snapped a five-game losing streak and gave interim head coach Edward “Buck” Joyner Jr. his first home win.
Hampton (3-10) went on a 15-5 run late in the second half to pull ahead to its largest margin of the night, 69-37 with 5:25 to play after a 3-pointer from Brandon Tunnell (Wilmington, Del.). Fordham closed the game on a 17-8 run, but the Pirates' lead was so large at that point, the Rams couldn't complete the comeback.
Michael Freeman (Alexandria, Va.) led the Pirates with 18 points on 5-for-9 shooting and an 8-for-9 performance from the free throw line. Freeman also pulled down 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season. Vincent Simpson (Philadelphia, Pa.) scored 11 points for the Pirates, who shot a season-best 51.0 percent (25-for-49) from the floor and 5-for-11 (45.5 percent) from 3-point range.
The Pirates out-rebounded their first opponent of the season, gaining a 42-31 advantage on the boards over the Rams. Hampton also forced Fordham into 21 turnovers. Hampton had 32 defensive rebounds to Fordham's 16.
The Rams (2-10) were led by Brenton Butler, who scored a game-high 21 points on 8-for-22 shooting. Jacob Green gave Fordham a team-high eight rebounds. The Rams shot just 30.8 percent (20-for-65) from the field and 8-for-14 (57.1 percent) from the free throw line.
Hampton opened the game on a 15-5, culminating with a 3-pointer from Simpson with 13:50 left in the half. Fordham actually opened with a 3-2 lead, but Freeman hit a layup at the 18:09 mark in the first half to put Hampton up 4-3 – a lead the Pirates would not relinquish.
The Pirates would lead by as many as 19 in the opening frame, going up 37-18 at the 3:26 mark when Milade Lola-Charles (Laurel, Md.) sank a hook shot from the baseline.
The Pirates took a 41-22 lead into the half after shooting a season-best 51.7 percent (15-for-29) from the floor in the first half. Freeman led Hampton with 10 points in the opening frame, with Charles Funches (Bayonne, N.J.) adding nine points and Koron Reed (Philadelphia, Pa.) another eight. Freeman also pulled down a team-high seven rebounds in the first half.
Fordham shot just 25.0 percent (8-for-32) from the floor in the first half, while turning the ball over nine times. Butler led the Rams with nine points, while Green had six rebounds in the first half.
Hampton's 41 points in the first half were a season-high.
The Pirates will return to action on Saturday, when they begin the bulk of MEAC play at 6 p.m. against Coppin State at the HU Convocation Center. 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.
