ORANGEBURG, S.C. – In reaching the 90-point mark for the second straight game, the Hampton University men's basketball team upended South Carolina State 93-64 Monday evening in the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.
 
The Pirates improved to 10-13 overall and 7-3 in MEAC play.
 
Jermaine Marrow racked up yet another 20-point effort, his fourth straight, leading four Pirates in double figures with 21 points. Lawrence Cooks came off the bench to add 12 points and a team-high seven assists, while Akim Mitchell and Kalin Fisher scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.
 
AJ Astroth grabbed 12 rebounds off the bench.
 
The Pirates shot a season-best 54.9 percent (39-for-71) from the floor – including a near-58 percent clip in the first half – and hit seven of their 20 3-pointers. Hampton also led in points in the paint (54-26), second-chance points (14-10) and points off turnovers (11-7).
 
Hampton outrebounded the Bulldogs 44-30.
 
A jumper from Marrow, the reigning MEAC Rookie of the Week, capped a 17-4 run to open the game for the Pirates, establishing control early. S.C. State cut the lead to single digits, 21-12, on a James Richardson layup, but Hampton went on a 10-1 run to take a 31-13 lead on an Astroth layup at the 9:09 mark.
 
Ian Kinard cut the lead to 36-24 with 5:46 left in the half, but the Pirates closed the frame on a 13-3 run. Marrow ended the run with a layup with six seconds left in the half to give Hampton a 49-27 lead going into the break.
 
Marrow led the Pirates with 11 points at the break.
 
The Pirates never led by less than 20 in the second half, and neither team went on a long sustained run during the frame. Mitchell hit a jumper with 12:40 remaining that gave the Pirates a 70-42 lead, but their largest lead came at the 2:45 mark, when Marrow hit a layup to make the lead 91-61.
 
Hampton, which has won four straight, set a season high for points scored against a Div. I opponent.
 
S.C. State (7-16, 4-6 MEAC) shot 34.5 percent (19-for-55) from the floor, going just 29 percent in the second half. The Bulldogs hit five of 13 3-pointers (38.5 percent) and struggled at the free throw line to the tune of 21-for-32 (65.6 percent).
 
Edward Stephens led the Bulldogs with 18 points.
 
The Pirates will return home on Saturday to take on rival Howard at 6 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5757, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.