Box Score

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team closed out the regular season and celebrated Senior Night in style on Thursday night, trouncing Howard 90-42 at the HU Convocation Center.

The victory was Hampton's most lopsided since Jan. 23, 2006, when the Pirates beat Savannah State 100-57. It was also the second straight game in which the Pirates scored at least 90 points.

Hampton opened the second half on a 14-5 run, going up 67-26 with 15:29 to play when Brandon Tunnell (Wilmington, Del.) sank a transition layup. The Bison would close within a 69-30 margin, but Mike Tuitt (Bronx, N.Y.) answered with a layup at the 11:04 mark and Kwame Morgan II (Largo, Md.) sank a 3-pointer with 10:22 left to play to put Hampton up 74-32.

Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.) set a new career high with 22 points on 8-for-14 shooting, going 3-for-7 from behind the arc. Vincent Simpson (Philadelphia, Pa.) also had 22 points for the Pirates (13-17, 8-8 MEAC), who won their fifth straight contest. Morgan came off the bench to add 13 points, and Tunnell chipped in 12 points.

Michael Freeman led Hampton with five rebounds, as the Pirates out-rebounded Howard 38-28. Hampton also forced Howard (7-24, 6-10 MEAC) into 18 turnovers, while coughing the ball up just eight times on offense.

The Pirates shot 56.5 percent (35-for-62) from the floor, hitting 11 of 25 3-point attempts and making nine of 11 free throws. The Pirates also had 13 steals on the night.

Dadrian Collins led Howard with 11 points. The Bison shot just 30.6 percent (15-for-49) from the floor and made just four of their 23 3-point attempts.

The Pirates opened the game on an emphatic 19-5 run, which included a pair of breakaway, one-handed dunks from Pellum. Morgan would add a 3-pointer at the 10:57 mark to put Hampton up 24-5, and Pellum added a trey of his own with 8:06 left in the half to put the Pirates up 32-10.

Simpson scored Hampton's last five points of the half, as the Pirates went into the locker room up 53-21. The Pirates set a mark for most points scored in a half this season.

Pellum and Simpson led the Pirates with 15 points apiece in the first half. Tunnell led the Pirates with five assists in the first half, as Hampton shot 61.1 percent (22-for-36) from the floor and made seven of 15 3-pointers.

Hampton out-rebounded Howard 22-9 in the first half.

The Bison shot just 36.4 percent (8-for-22) in the first half, turning the ball over 11 times. Phillips led Howard with seven first-half points.

The 2010 MEAC Championships will be held March 8-13 at the LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. 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.