DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Hampton University men's basketball team continued its winning ways on Saturday, taking a 68-56 win over Bethune-Cookman at Moore Gymnasium.

With their third win in a row, the Pirates (15-4, 5-1 MEAC) eclipsed their win total from last season while snapping the Wildcats' five-game winning streak and handing them their first conference loss.

Senior forward Charles Funches (Jersey City, N.J.) led four Pirates in double figures with 15 points, while junior guard Kwame Morgan II (Largo, Md.) added 12 points. Junior guard Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.) poured in 11 points and junior guard Christopher Tolson (Laurel, Md.) scored 10.

Sophomore forward Wesley Dunning (Washington, D.C.) pulled down a career-high seven rebounds.

Hampton never trailed, opening the game on a 9-0 run before going up 11-3 at the 16:41 mark thanks to a Funches jumper. The Wildcats (10-9, 5-1 MEAC) responded with a 10-2 run to tie the game at 13-13 with 9:10 left in the half after C.J. Reed sank a free throw, but the Pirates answered with an 18-2 run to take a 31-15 lead at the 2:57 mark after Pellum hit a pair of free throws.

The Pirates led 34-23 at the half, thanks to 44.8 percent (13-for-29) shooting in the opening frame.

Alexander Starling hit two free throws with 19:30 left in the game to cut Hampton's lead to nine, 34-25, but that was as close as Bethune-Cookman would get. A Morgan stickback with 12:10 to play capped an 18-5 run and gave the Pirates a 52-30 lead.

Dunning would hit a free throw with 10:52 to play to give the Pirates their largest lead of the night, 55-32.

The Pirates shot 44.2 percent (23-for-52) from the floor, hitting seven of their 20 3-pointers and 15 of their 23 free throws. Hampton also converted 12 Bethune-Cookman turnovers into 15 points, while also out-scoring the Wildcats 21-16 off the bench.

The Wildcats shot just 34.4 percent (21-for-61) from the floor, making just 11 of 19 free throws. Bethune-Cookman did hold a 40-35 edge in rebounding.

Reed led the Wildcats with 13 points, while Stanley Elliott added 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Mikel Trapp poured in 10 points off the bench.

The Pirates will return to action on Monday, when they head to Gaither Gymnasium in Tallahassee, Fla. to take on Florida A&M at 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.