HU Pirates Run Past Tigers for Sixth Straight Win

HAMPTON, Virginia -- After 20 minutes of play Saturday evening at the HU Convocation Center, it appeared the "Cardiac Kids" were going to make another appearance. But a 47-point second half propelled the Hampton University men's basketball team to a 75-52 win over Savannah State.

The Pirates (11-7) won their sixth straight game and improved to 7-0 in MEAC play.

Quinton Chievous led four Pirates in double figures with 26 points, while also grabbing a team-high 16 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season – and his ninth in his last 19 games dating back to last season.

Chievous also dished out five assists.

Lawrence Cooks came off the bench to drop 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting, while Brian Darden added 13 points on three 3-pointers and Akim Mitchell chipped in a season-high 10 points.

The Pirates shot 42.1 percent (24-for-57) from the floor on the night, hitting nine of their 20 3-pointers (45.0 percent). The Pirates also held a 44-32 edge in rebounding and turned 17 Savannah State turnovers into 25 points.

Hampton scored the game's first seven points, capping that run with a tear-drop floater on the baseline from Mitchell, before the Tigers scored the next five points to cut the gap to 7-5. A jumper from Cooks at the 9:51 mark of the first half gave the Pirates a 20-12 lead.

But Savannah State answered with a 9-1 run, tying the game at 21-21 with 4:54 left in the half after a free throw from Troyce Manassa. The score was tied three more times in the final minutes of the half – and a three from Christopher Martin sent the teams into the break tied at 28-28.

Darden scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half.

A 4-1 spurt to open the second half gave the Tigers a 32-29 lead with 18:45 left to play, before the Pirates went on a 10-0 run – taking a 39-32 lead after a layup from Mitchell with 15:37 remaining. Chievous added a jumper at the 15:27 mark to put Hampton up 41-34.

That jumper kicked off an 8-2 Hampton run that put the Pirates up 49-36 after Mitchell hit a trey at the 12:23 mark.

Savannah State cut the lead to 10, 51-41, with 10:25 remaining, but that was the closest the Tigers would get. In fact, Hampton answered that Martin layup with a 9-1 run – taking a 60-42 lead with 7:31 left after a layup from Reginald Johnson, Jr.

Trevond Barnes hit a free throw with 2:43 left to give Hampton its largest lead of the game at 75-49. That free throw capped an 11-0 Hampton run.

Savannah State (7-10, 3-3 MEAC) shot 38.2 percent (21-for-55) from the floor, but made just three of the 17 3-pointers they took (17.6 percent). The Tigers also struggled at the free throw line, going 7-for-16 (43.8 percent).

Martin led three Tigers in double figures with 15 points.

The Pirates will play host to South Carolina State on Monday at 7 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.



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