ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Host South Carolina State had momentum to open the second half Monday night at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center, but the Pirates stole momentum with a run midway through the half en route to a 67-56 win.
 
The Pirates are now 5-2 in the MEAC and 10-10 overall this season.
 
Sophomore forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) led four Pirates in double figures with a season-high 14 points and six rebounds, going 7-for-10 from the floor. Senior guard Ramon Mercado (Hollywood, Fla.) added 12 points, six rebounds, and three blocks – two of which were key late.
 
It was Pressley's first game at Hampton in double figures.
 
Senior forward Du'Vaughn Maxwell (Manhattan, N.Y.) added 11 points, and sophomore guard Ke'Ron Brown (Savannah, Ga.) chipped in 10 points.
 
Maxwell also had a team-high five blocks.
 
When Darron Eastmon hit a 3-pointer with 11:39 left in the second half, it gave SCSU a 41-38 lead over the Pirates. But the Pirates held the Bulldogs without a field goal for the next five minutes, going on a 17-0 run.
 
A 3-pointer from redshirt-freshman guard Lawrence Cooks (Charlotte, N.C.) gave the Pirates a 43-41 lead, and Mercado kept the momentum rolling on the Pirates' next possession with a corner trey of his own to put Hampton up 46-41.
 
Mercado also had two free throws in the run, along with a fastbreak dunk at the 8:29 mark to put the Pirates up 52-41. Pressley followed with a dunk of his own – his third of the night – to culminate the run and give Hampton a 54-41 lead.
 
Koran Wright cut that lead to 60-54 with a trey with 1:38 left, but the Pirates closed the game on a 7-2 run, clinching the win with a 3-point play form Mercado with 39 seconds left. Mercado also blocked two SCSU 3-point attempts in the final four minutes, including one with 47 seconds left.
 
SCSU led by as many as five early in the contest, holding a 9-4 advantage with 16:04 left in the first half. But the Pirates went on a 13-3 run, taking a 17-12 lead at the 7:56 mark after a layup from Cooks.
 
The Bulldogs cut that lead to one, 19-18, with 5:56 left in the half, before Hampton responded by scoring the next seven points – taking a 26-18 lead with 1:55 left in the first half following a free throw from Maxwell.
 
Hampton led 28-22 at the break, and Pressley led the way with 12 points in the first 20 minutes.
 
The Pirates shot 40.4 percent (23-for-57) from the floor and made three of their 12 3-pointers. Hampton turned 20 South Carolina State turnovers into 24 points, and the Pirates held a healthy 36-10 advantage in points in the paint.
 
SCSU (7-13, 3-4 MEAC) shot just 29.2 percent (19-for-65) from the floor – including a 7-for-34 clip (20.6 percent) in the first half. The Bulldogs did out-rebound the Pirates 47-40.
 
Hezekiah led the Bulldogs with 13 points.
 
The Pirates will be in Baltimore, Md. on Saturday to take on Coppin State at 4 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.