Box Score

BALTIMORE, Md. – The Hampton University men's basketball team suffered its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) loss of the season Monday night, falling 78-72 to Morgan State at the Hill Field House.

Junior guard Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.) led the Pirates with 23 points on 6-for-14 shooting, making eight of his 11 free throws. Senior guard Brandon Tunnell (Wilmington, Del.) added 17 points on 8-for-11 shooting, while senior forward Charles Funches (Jersey City, N.J.) poured in 14 points, going 10-for-14 from the free throw line, to go along with a team-high eight rebounds.

The Bears opened the game on a 10-2 run, culminating at the 16:02 mark of the first half on an Aric Brooks layup. The Pirates scored the next 10 points, taking a 12-10 lead at the 13:26 mark on a Funches layup, but Morgan State went on an 18-7 run, taking a 28-19 lead with 6:50 left in the half on a Gene Johnson jumper.

Hampton closed the half on a 10-4 run to close the gap to 33-30 at the half.

After Pellum tied the game at 33-33 at the 19:42 mark in the second half with a 3-pointer, Morgan State went on a 13-2 run to take a 46-35 lead with 14:49 to play after DeWayne Jackson sank a pair of free throws.

A 3-point play from Jackson with 8:05 to play gave the Bears a 60-49 lead, before Hampton went on an 11-4 run to close the gap to 64-60 with 3:42 to play after Funches hit a pair of free throws. But the Pirates could never close to within one possession, cutting the edge to 76-72 on a Funches layup with eight seconds remaining.

Jackson's free throw one second later sealed the game for the Bears.

The Pirates (12-4, 2-1 MEAC) shot 46.0 percent (23-for-50) from the floor, including a 50.0 percent (12-for-24) effort in the first half. Junior forward Danny Agbelese (Lanham, Md.) had all five of the team's blocked shots.

Hampton shot 40.0 percent (10-for-25) from the floor in second half, but only made one of six 3-point attempts in the half.

The Bears (7-7, 3-0 MEAC) shot 42.1 percent (24-for-57) from the floor for the game, including a 48.0 percent (12-for-25) clip in the second half. Morgan State held a 40-31 rebounding edge against the Pirates, and the Bears turned 16 offensive rebounds into 22 second-chance points.

Jackson led four Bears in double figures with 21 points, while Kevin Thompson added 19 points and 10 rebounds. Brooks poured in 18 points, while Ameer Ali – who also pulled down 10 rebounds, added 10 points.

The Pirates will return to action on Saturday, when they return to the HU Convocation Center to take on Norfolk State in the Battle of the Bay, basketball style, at 8 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.