HAMPTON, Va. – Thanks in large part to a clutch 3-pointer from junior guard Brian Darden, the Hampton outlasted Howard 73-69 in overtime Monday evening at the HU Convocation Center.
The Pirates improved to 10-14 overall and 6-5 in the MEAC with their 10th straight win over Howard.
Darden and junior guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) each had 18 points to lead the Pirates, going a combined 8-for-15 from behind the arc, with each player hitting four shots from distance. Junior guard Reginald Johnson (Chicago, Ill.) added 15 points.
Junior forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) and guard Quinton Chievous (Chicago, Ill.) each grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
The Pirates shot 34.5 percent (20-for-58) from the floor and hit 11 of 24 3-pointers (45.8 percent). Hampton also went 22-for-27 (81.5 percent) from the free throw line.
For most of the overtime session, neither team could score. It wasn’t until 1:01 left in the frame, when Darden hit a deep trey from the wing, that the Pirates broke the 64-64 stalemate to take a 67-64 lead. Darden added two free throws 20 seconds later to give Hampton a 69-64 lead.
Howard cut the lead to 69-67 after James Carlton hit a free throw with 29 seconds left, but Darden hit two more clutch free throws two seconds later to give Hampton a 71-67 lead.
A free throw from Chievous with seven seconds left gave Hampton a 73-67 lead.
James Daniel gave Howard a 57-51 lead with 5:12 left to play with a pair of free throws, before the Pirates scored the next seven points to take a 58-57 lead with 3:22 left on a pair of free throws from Powers.
The lead changed hands five times after that, until the Bison led 64-62 with 54 seconds left in the second half following a free throw from Jared Norsworthy. Johnson responded by nailing both of his free throws with nine seconds left to force overtime.
There were nine lead changes in the second half alone.
Howard held an early 15-14 lead, before the Pirates went on a 12-2 run to take a 26-17 lead at the 5:54 mark of the first half following a layup from Chievous. A pair of free throws from redshirt junior guard/forward Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) gave Hampton a 31-23 lead at the 2:49 mark.
But Howard ended the half on a 6-0 run, cutting the Pirates’ lead to 31-29 at the break.
Powers had 11 points at the break, hitting three of five 3-pointers.
Howard (12-12, 6-4 MEAC) shot 40.9 percent (27-for-66) from the floor, but hit just four of 14 3-pointers (28.6 percent). The Bison turned the ball over 19 times, yet out-rebounded the Pirates 41-39.
Carlton led the Bison with 24 points.
hamptonpirates.com
