TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Hampton University men's basketball team got right back into the win column Monday evening in the Al Lawson Center, bouncing back with a 76-69 win over Florida A&M.
 
The Pirates improved to 12-14 overall and 9-4 in MEAC play.
 
Jermaine Marrow led the way, dropping a career-high 31 points on 10-for-22 shooting – and a 4-for-9 effort from behind the arc – to register his first career 30-point game. Lysander Bracey added 11 points, while AJ Astroth grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
 
The Pirates shot 45.8 percent (27-for-59) from the floor – including a 48.3 percent clip in the second half – and hit nine of their 25 3-pointers (36.0 percent). Hampton also outrebounded FAMU to the tune of 44-33.
 
Hampton used a 14-4 run to open the game, taking that lead at the 13:47 mark on a three from Bracey. In fact, the Pirates led by as many as 15 in the opening frame, going up 29-14 with 5:28 left in the half after a free throw from Kalin Fisher.
 
But the Rattlers ended the half on a 12-4 run, closing the gap to 33-26 at the break.
 
Bracey led the way with 10 points at the half.
 
FAMU opened the second half by cutting the lead to four – a layup from Trey-Carey Warren and a free throw from Marcus Barham cut Hampton's lead to 33-29 with 18:45 remaining. But the Pirates scored seven of the next nine points to take a 40-31 lead with 16:48 left after a Fisher jumper.
 
The Rattlers scored the next six points, cutting the lead to 40-37 with 16:11 remaining.
 
But that was as close as FAMU got, as Hampton answered with an 18-9 spurt to take a 58-46 lead with 8:49 remaining after a three from Marrow. Hampton's largest lead came twice late in the second half – the latest at the 3:47 mark, when an Astroth layup gave the Pirates a 72-55 lead.
 
Even a FAMU 14-4 run to end the game couldn't wrest control from the Pirates.
 
FAMU (7-20, 5-9 MEAC) shot 37.7 percent (23-for-61) from the floor and made just three of 11 3-pointers.
 
Williams led the Rattlers with 16 points.
 
The Pirates will be in Baltimore, Md. on Saturday to take on Morgan 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.