FARGO, N.D. – Four players scored in double figures Friday evening for the Hampton University men's basketball team, which picked up its first win of the season with an 82-69 win over Alcorn State in Scheels Arena as part of the 2K Classic.
 
Junior guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) led all scorers with 18 points, hitting four of his nine shots – all from behind the arc – and going 6-for-6 from the free throw line. Guard Quinton Chievous (Chicago, Ill.) added 16 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
 
Junior forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) went 5-for-7 from the floor and 5-for-7 from the free throw line for 15 points, while redshirt junior guard Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) added 11 points.
 
Junior guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) dished out a team-high six assists.
 
The Pirates (1-2) shot 46.4 percent (26-for-56) from the floor and hit seven of 18 3-pointers (38.9 percent). Hampton was also strong from the free throw line, hitting 23 of 26 shots from the charity stripe (88.5 percent).
 
Hampton out-scored Alcorn State 32-16 off the bench and 30-24 in the paint. The Pirates also held a 40-30 rebounding edge.
 
Alcorn State (0-3) held an early 6-4 lead, before the Pirates went on a 9-3 run to take a 13-7 lead at the 15:51 mark after a layup from Chievous. Kenyan Pittman ended the run with a 3-point play, cutting the lead to 13-10, before the Pirates went on an 8-2 run to take a 21-12 lead with 9:55 left in the half after a jumper from Pressley.
 
A layup from Pressley at the 5:16 mark gave the Pirates a 33-20 lead, before Alcorn State scored the next six points to cut the lead to 33-26. But the Pirates closed the half on a 10-4 run, culminating in a jumper from junior forward Dionte Adams (Charlotte, N.C.) with 14 seconds left.
 
That basket gave Hampton a 43-30 halftime lead.
 
Darden had 11 points at the half, while Pressley had 10. The Pirates shot 51.6 percent (16-for-31) from the floor in the opening 20 minutes.
 
Hampton scored six of the first eight points to open the second half, taking a 49-32 lead after a 3-point play from Chievous at the 16:15 mark. Alcorn State kept it within that range, cutting the lead to 55-43 at the 11:59 mark of the second half.
 
The Pirates scored the next nine points, though, taking a 64-43 lead after a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Lawrence Cooks (Charlotte, N.C.) with 8:10 left to play. But Alcorn State went on a 20-7 run to cut the lead to 71-63 with 3:36 to play.
 
Hampton answered with an 8-2 run, taking a 79-65 lead with 1:47 to play after Darden drained a pair of free throws. Powers added two free throws of his own with 22 seconds left to put the Pirates ahead 81-67.
 
Hampton made five of its last six free throws to clinch the win.
 
The Pirates will face either North Dakota State or Kennesaw State on Saturday.
 
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.