DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – In holding off a second-half comeback by Bethune-Cookman, the Hampton University men's basketball team left Moore Gymnasium with a 58-56 win on Saturday to remain unbeaten in conference play.
 
The Pirates improved to 7-8 overall and 3-0 in MEAC play this season.
 
Junior guard Reginald Johnson (Chicago, Ill.) led the Pirates with a season-high 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting, while junior guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) added 12 points off the bench. Guard Quinton Chievous (Chcago, Ill.) added nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.
 
The Pirates' bench outscored the Wildcats 33-14.
 
The Pirates shot 39.6 percent (21-for-53) from the floor and hit five of their 11 3-pointers (45.5 percent). Hampton also went 11-for-17 (64.7 percent) from the free throw line. The Pirates also held a 37-34 edge on the glass, and Hampton turned 19 Bethune-Cookman turnovers into 23 points.
 
A monster dunk from Chievous in transition gave the Pirates a 54-45 lead with1:47 left to play, but the Wildcats went on a 9-2 run to cut the lead to 56-54 after a 3-pointer from Quentin Brewer with 25 seconds left to play.
 
Darden hit two free throws with 17 seconds left gave the Pirates a 58-54 lead.
 
Brewer's jumper with seven seconds left cut the lead to 58-56, but Ricky Johnson missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.
 
Hampton held an early 7-6 lead, before the Wildcats scored the next five points to take an 11-7 lead after a layup from Brewer at the 12:23 mark. Hampton then went on a 9-0 run to take a 16-11 lead after two free throws from junior guard/forward Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) at the 7:45 mark.
 
Johnson gave the Pirates a 23-18 lead with a jumper with 1:28 left in the first half, and Hampton took that lead into the half.
 
Johnson had seven points at the break.
 
Junior guard Ke'Ron Brown (Savannah, Ga.) gave the Pirates a 32-22 lead with a jumper with 14:52 left take to play, before the Wildcats went on an 11-0 run to take a 33-32 lead with 12:19 remaining after a dunk from Ugo Okam.
 
Hampton then scored six straight to take a 38-33 lead after a Darden trey at the 11:10 mark. After the Wildcats close the gap to 41-40 with 8:01 to play, the Pirates went on a 9-0 run to take a 50-40 lead after a jumper from Johnson.
 
Bethune-Cookman (4-12, 0-2 MEAC) shot 40.4 percent (21-for-52) from the floor and hit five of 12 3-pointers (29.4 percent).
 
Brewer led the Wildcats with 20 points.
 
The Pirates will be in Tallahassee, Fla. on Monday to take on Florida A&M 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.