Box Score

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Hampton University men's basketball team fell in the semifinals of the 2010 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championships, losing 74-67 to No. 1 seed Morgan State on Friday at the Joel Coliseum.

Kwame Morgan II (Largo, Md.) gave the Pirates a 64-62 lead with 2:41 to play with a jumper, but the Bears closed the game on a 12-3 run, kicked off at the 2:25 mark with a 3-pointer by MEAC Player of the Year Reggie Holmes. Troy Smith sank a layup with 24 seconds left to push Morgan State's lead to nine, 74-65, before Mike Tuitt (Bronx, N.Y.) sank a layup to push the game to its final margin.

There were seven lead changes and 11 ties in the second half.

Michael Freeman (Alexandria, Va.) led the Pirates (14-18) with 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting, while Morgan added 13 points off the bench and Vincent Simpson (Philadelphia, Pa.) chipped in 11 points. Charles Funches (Bayonne, N.J.) led Hampton with six rebounds, as Morgan State out-rebounded the Pirates 38-33.

The Pirates shot 41.8 percent (23-for-55) from the floor, while Morgan State shot 42.9 percent (21-for-49) from the floor and 30-for-41 (73.2 percent) from the free throw line.

Ameer Ali led five Bears in double figures with 14 points. Troy Smith and Joe Davis each had 12 points for Morgan State, while Holmes and DeWayne Jackson each scored 11.

The Pirates first took the lead with 3:50 left in the first half, when Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.) sank a layup to put Hampton up 22-21. That lead expanded to seven, 32-25, with 1:29 left in the frame after Morgan sank his lone 3-pointer of the night.

Hampton, the No. 5 seed, led 32-27 at the half.

Freeman and Morgan had seven points in the first half to lead the Pirates, who shot 41.4 percent (12-for-29) in the frame. Hampton had 20 first-half rebounds, compared to 21 for Morgan State (26-9).

The Bears shot just 25.9 percent (7-for-27) from the floor in the first half; Jackson led Morgan State with nine points in the opening 20 minutes.

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.