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HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men’s basketball team got back into the win column Monday night, defeating the Tigers of Towson University 78-67 at the HU Convocation Center.
The Pirates (8-2) controlled much of the second half, though Towson closed the gap to 61-55 with 6:52 to play when Dre Conner converted a 3-point play. The Pirates responded emphatically when senior forward Charles Funches (Jersey City, N.J.) threw down a one-handed dunk over Braxton Dupree, drawing the foul and converting the 3-point play at the 5:10 mark to give the Pirates a 68-57 lead.
Junior guard Christopher Tolson (Laurel, Md.) sank a trey with 2:01 to play to put Hampton up 76-63.
HAMPTON, VA — Charles Funches posted career highs of 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead Hampton to a 78-67 victory over Towson on Monday night. The Pirates (8-2), coming off a 55-53 loss to Delaware that snapped their seven-game winning streak, shot 45.8 percent from the floor (27 of 59) and hit a season-best 11 of 20 3-pointers.
Suffolk native Terrence Warren was an 11-time All-American, eight-time CIAA champion and two-time NCAA national champion as a sprinter at Hampton University. Warren won five state championships on the track for John F. Kennedy High School. On the gridiron, Warren went on to a pro career in the NFL and CFL. He’s been selected as part of the second class to enter the Hampton University Athletics Hall of Fame. Suffolk, VA - Former John F. Kennedy High track and football star Terrence Warren was overcome with pride when he learned of his induction into the Hampton University Athletics Hall of Fame. Most of his emotion goes out to the people who helped and coached him along the way.
“The biggest part of this, for me, is not that it’s a celebration of my accomplishments, but a way to pay homage to those who guided me and gave me a chance to develop,” Warren said. “I can’t take credit without giving them credit.”
In high school and again as a Pirate, Warren was a track athlete first and a football player second. The football idea was good enough to take Warren to a career in the NFL and Canadian Football League.
NEW YORK — Charles Funches scored 20 points and Hampton defeated Howard 67-55 on Saturday night in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener for both teams. The Pirates (7-1) used a 9-3 run to break a 41-41 tie midway through the second half and secure their seventh straight win.
The Bison (1-7), who trailed 34-27 at halftime, took a 38-36 lead with 15:54 left in the game following an 11-2 run. Mike Tuitt's 3 put the Pirates back on top with 14:50 to play before Dadrian Collins' 3 tied it one more time at 41-41.
New York, NY - Mike Phillips poured in a career-high 20 points and Anton Dickerson added 19 but it was not enough to offset the production of the Hampton bench as the Bison lost to Hampton, 67-55 in the 5th Annual Big Apple Classic at Madison Square Garden.
Phillips, a 6-7 sophomore forward from Fredricksburg, VA, recorded a double-double (20 points, 11 rebounds) and Dickerson, a 6-2 sophomore guard from Brooklyn, NY, tallied 14 of his points in the first half as the undermanned Bison (1-7 overall, 0-1 in the MEAC) battled the streaking Pirates (7-1 overall, 1-0 in the MEAC) through most of the contest.
Hampton which has now won seven in a row, was able to get some distance between them and their rival by using a late push to take a 34-27 lead to the locker room.
Hampton University ran its winning streak to seven, beating Howard 67-55 Saturday night in the Big Apple Classic at Madison Square Garden. The Pirates (7-1), who are giving up about 54 points per game, haven't lost since dropping a close season-opening contest at Wake Forest.
Howard tied the game at 41 on a 3-pointer by Dadrian Collins, a former Woodside High player. But the Pirates went on a 9-3 run to take a 50-44 lead with 9:42 to play on a dunk from junior guard Darrion Pellum.
New York, NY - The Big Apple Classic has announced that hip hop legend Doug E. Fresh is confirmed to participate as a host at the fifth anniversary of the Big Apple Classic on Saturday, December 4, 2010 at Madison Square Garden.
Doug will host the drumline competition portion of the CIAA and MEAC basketball thriller that is known for bringing heart-pounding basketball, electrifying drumlines and other southern black college traditions to the tri-state area. The Big Apple Classic is the only basketball tournament that showcases teams from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) at the world famous Madison Square Garden.
This year's Big Apple Classic starts on December 3 with a kick-off party at Greenhouse and continues on December 4 with rival games between CIAA schoolsVirginia State Universityand Virginia Union Universityand MEAC schools Hampton University and Howard University. Games start at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. respectively.
Thousands of alumni, students, celebrities and other basketball fans are expected at what has become one of the most highly anticipated family and social events of the year. Last year's Big Apple Classic drew more than 10,000 attendees, including celebrities such as Gayle King and the Rev. Al Sharpton. Other highlights include an essay contest for high school students, a Black college fair, a drumline competition, and musical guests.
Event tickets are $29.50 and $54.50. A portion of ticket proceeds will be donated to Every Child USA to support efforts to improve the quality of life of America's children through literacy, health and opportunity.
For a $5 discount per ticket (active starting on Wednesday, Dec. 1) or more information, visit www.thebigappleclassic.com
Internationally celebrated as "The Human Beat Box," Doug E. Fresh rose to fame in the 80's and 90's with hip hop mega hits like "The Show/La Di Da Di," "Keep Risin' to the Top," and "All the Way to Heaven." He remains a highly sought after performer and continues to draw fans of all ages and backgrounds. Doug has been featured on American Idol and most recently he is enjoying new-found attention from the dance craze, The Dougie, which is sweeping college and professional sports games nationwide. The pop culture dance pays homage to Doug's signature dance moves and his iconic status in hip hop as "The World's Greatest Entertainer." The Dougie reached critical mass recently when CNN invited Doug into the studio to teach Wolf Blitzer "how to do The Dougie."
About the upcoming Big Apple Classic, Doug offers: "I think that what the Big Apple Classic is doing to support young people getting an education is very important. Education is key. We are coming to a basketball game, but education is still the focus and I respect that. It's positive and it's fun and that's what I'm all about."
BALTIMORE, MD — After struggling in the red zone all day, Hampton finally figured out a surefire way to the end zone late in Saturday's game against host Morgan State.
Switch to hyper-speed. Trailing by a point late in the fourth quarter, the Pirates drove 78 yards in 56 seconds, taking the lead for good on a 23-yard pass from David Legree to Javaris Brown with 46.4 seconds left in a 21-16 win.
"We practice 2-minutes [drills] all the time," Pirates coach Donovan Rose said. "I said, 'Make sure you stay poised.' But we got the ball to the sidelines, and I was just glad to see them do that because all of our losses have basically been down to the end like this. Our offense had to win it, and they did it."
BALTIMORE, Md. – The Pirates of Hampton University closed out the 2010 season on the road against the Bears of Morgan State University at Hughes Stadium with a come-from-behind 21-16 victory.
Hampton closed out the season with a 6-5 overall record and a 5-3 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), while the Bears finished 4-7 and 3-5 in the MEAC. The Pirates snapped a four-game losing streak in handing Morgan State its fourth straight defeat.
The Pirates led in all stats at the half, except the one that counted the most: the score. Hampton trailed 9-3 at half after an 81-yard punt return touchdown by Winfred Diggs and a 36-yard field goal by Kemar Scarlett.
1 p.m. at Municipal Stadium, Daytona Beach, Fla. Records: Bison 1-8, 0-6 MEAC; Wildcats 9-0, 6-0. RADIO: WELE 1380 AM (Daytona)
Emerging stars: Even though Howard's defense has allowed more than 50 points in three of its past four games, the Bison have received outstanding performances from its younger defensive players. Freshman safety Cameron Alston, the reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rookie of the week, had nine tackles, recovered a fumble and returned a blocked field goal 37 yards for a touchdown in a 54-14 loss to South Carolina State. Sophomore linebacker Kurt Mangum II had 13 tackles, including three for a loss, and a sack.
Delaware State (2-7, 1-5) at Norfolk State (4-5, 3-4), 1 p.m., Dick Price Stadium, 102.1 FM; 91.1 FM (Norfolk); WWTX-1290, WDOV-1410 (Dover)
Ever since getting Norfolk State's season back on track, Sherron Childress admits he's been thinking about today. The tight end, one of the Spartans' most emotional players, is one of 20 NSU seniors likely playing their final home game today.
"I've been thinking about it all week," Childress said. "Since the start of the week, I've been thinking one more home game. I've played a lot of games here... one more time at Dick Price Stadium."
Childress has already been through a spectrum of results at home this season. He wept on the field after a close loss to Florida A&M three weeks ago. Last week, during a 35-27 win over Morgan State, he celebrated his first catch since September, and his first touchdown of the season.
Florida A&M vs. Hampton, 3 p.m: Hampton (5-4, 4-2 MEAC); FAMU (6-3, 5-1 MEAC); Internet Live TV: FAMCAST,Radio: 96.1 FM.
There is no hope of winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship for Hampton. That chance was dashed by three consecutive losses, including a heartbreaking five-point loss to undefeated Bethune-Cookman last weekend.
But today, the Pirates could do severe damage to the plans that Florida A&M (6-3, 5-1 MEAC) has to run the table and force a possible three-way tie for the conference title. Hampton (5-4, 4-2) did it last season and coach Donovan Rose is looking for a repeat performance.
What Rose has been telling his players amounts to forgetting that they've not won a game since escaping with a 7-6 victory over Norfolk State. Only a two-touchdown loss to Old Dominion was at a wider margin than the setback to the Wildcats.
Hampton, VA - The Monarch special teams unit blocked two punts and rushed Pirate punter Jordan Stoval to start a drive on Hampton's own one-yard line all by halftime in ODU's 28-14 win in its 15-mile road trip to Hampton Saturday afternoon. The win ups ODU's overall mark to 5-3 overall and 6-1 all-time on the road. The Pirates meanwhile drop to 5-3 on the season.
Quarterback Thomas DeMarco (Palm Desert, Calif.) passed for 182 yards and ran for a pair of touchdowns, while Prentice Gill (Los Angles, Calif.) led the receiving corps with 67 yards, seven receptions, and a score.
Hampton's offense had just put together its first cohesive drive to pull within two scores with an entire fourth quarter to play, and Ricardo Silva's interception gave it the ball right back for what could be a game-changing possession. "I thought so," Silva said. "But it didn't happen."
Three straight incompletions forced the Pirates' ninth punt and personified their continuing offensive struggles in a 28-14 loss to Old Dominion in the first meeting of a home-and-away series between the nearby rivals on Saturday in front of 8,605 fans at Armstrong Stadium.
HAMPTON, VA - Old Dominion won a football game Saturday afternoon at Hampton University. But in addition to prevailing over its cross-the-water neighbors, the Monarchs also won a recruiting battle. That's one of the reasons Bobby Wilder characterized his team's 28-14 victory as "a very big win for our program." For now and the immediate future.
Winning the favor of impressionable, fickle high school athletes is how a successful football program is established and maintained. Now, when dealing with recruits from the Peninsula who are on the radar of both ODU and Hampton, the Monarchs should have a leg up.
Hampton University was first. But Old Dominion was shinier. Colby Goodwyn rushed for 1,869 yards and 29 touchdowns in a senior season at Phoebus High that culminated in the 2009 Group AAA Division 5 state title. The Pirates took notice early on, making Goodwyn his first scholarship offer during the season.
The Monarchs, in their second season of FCS play, came later, with a phone call during a celebratory post-championship dinner. Goodwyn excused the tardiness. “I was thinking, ‘I want to see what else might come open,’ ” he said. “The facilities are real nice (at ODU), and the teaching and all that stuff. Everything’s brand-new here. I like it a lot.”
Just down the road at Hampton University's Armstrong Stadium on Saturday afternoon, they'll stage a football game that doubles as a socially competitive exercise. Or vice versa. Hampton U. and Old Dominion meet at 1 p.m. in a game with no tradition and little bearing on the big-picture aspirations of both programs, yet is widely anticipated in both camps. In the football offices at Hampton U. and on Norfolk's Powhatan Avenue, they're calling this a big game. Not in the "Every game is a big game" or "It's a big game because it's the next game on our schedule" coaches' mantra that provokes reflexive eye-rolls among non-believers.
HAMPTON (5-2, 4-1 MEAC) vs. OLD DOMINION (4-3) WHEN: 1 p.m. WHERE: Armstrong Stadium TV/RADIO: 88.1 FM
THE BUZZ: The Pirates play host to ODU in the first game of a home-and-away series with the second-year Monarchs. Hampton's defense ranks 13th in the country, allowing opponents less than 290 yards per game, but its offense has scored just 14 points in its last two games. ODU averages 29.4 points, but gives up 23.9.
HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University football team will look to get back in the win column on Saturday, when they return to Armstrong Stadium to take on Old Dominion at 1 p.m.
The Pirates (5-2) had their five-game winning streak snapped with a 10-7 loss on the road to South Carolina State this past Saturday, while the second-year Monarchs (4-3), under the direction of head coach Bobby Wilder, have won three of their last four after a 34-20 Homecoming win over Georgia State.
Saturday’s game will be the first-ever meeting between Hampton and Old Dominion; the Monarchs are in just their second year of competition after going nearly 70 years without a football team. After a 9-2 debut in 2009, ODU now holds the mark for the most wins ever for an FCS program in its first season.
ORANGEBURG, SC—The South Carolina State Bulldogs (5-2, 3-1 MEAC)turned things around with a hard fought 10-7 victory over the Hampton University Pirates (5-2, 4-1 MEAC), Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
The Bulldogs celebrating “Homecoming 2010” took advantage of every option in front of a home crowd 22,000 students, alums, and former Bulldog athletes to preserve the victory.
“We are happy to get a win and it wasn’t easy beating a team like Hampton,” stated SC State head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough. “We kind of got things together and turned our week around after a tough loss to Bethune-Cookman a week ago.”
ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Scott’s Erickson’s 48-yard field goal with 7:32 to go in the fourth quarter lifted South Carolina State to a 10-7 conference victory against Hampton on Saturday before a homecoming crowd of 22,010 at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium.
The win allowed the Bulldogs (5-2, 3-1) to stay in the running for at least a share of the MEAC title and a spot in the FCS playoffs. Hampton (5-2, 4-1) saw its five-game winning streak end.
“That was a win that we had to have, and we found a way to get it done against a real good team,” Bulldogs coach Buddy Pough said. “Scott’s been hitting them pretty good for us all season, so I was pretty confident when I sent him out. He’s as good as you’ll find in the country.”
ORANGEBURG, S.C. — In a game dominated by defense, Hampton's MEAC showdown with two-time defending South Carolina State on Saturday came down to special teams.
The host Bulldogs received a decisive 48-yard field goal from Scott Erickson with 7:23 remaining in the fourth quarter, while Hampton freshman Rodrigo Hernandez was 0-for-2, including a botched-snap mishap that doomed a potential game-tying bid from 37 yards out with 3:14 to go.
Erickson's 10th straight successful kick was the longest of his career, and lifted the Bulldogs (5-2, 3-1 MEAC) to a 10-7 win that kept their conference championship hopes alive. For the Pirates (5-2, 4-1), it was the end of a five-game winning streak and the fifth straight loss to S.C. State.
HAMPTON, VA -- Achilles only had one deficiency. Norfolk State has two.
The poor passing and shaky special teams that have marked each of the Spartans' MEAC contests emerged again Saturday in a 7-6 Battle of the Bay loss to Hampton (5-1, 4-0), the most frustrating defeat yet for a Norfolk State team (2-4, 1-3) growing well accustomed to them.
Kicker Ryan Estep missed a game-tying extra point and quarterback Chris Walley had just four completions and 12 yards passing until the final two minutes, another exposition of Norfolk State's most glaring flaws.
HAMPTON, VA — For long stretches on Saturday, Brandon Peguese and his Hampton teammates didn't give his grandmother, watching her grandson play football for the first time ever, many reasons to cheer.
That changed on the final drive of the game, when Peguese, the Pirates' senior defensive end, combined with sophomore linebacker Matt Davis to sack Norfolk State quarterback Chris Walley on fourth down and preserve Hampton's 7-6 victory in the 48th edition of the Battle of the Bay.
HAMPTON, VA — It seemed fitting that Saturday's offensively-challenged Battle of the Bay was decided by a missed extra point, and that one of the game's crucial plays began with a botched snap. Here's the kind of offensive display Hampton and Norfolk State provided: The Pirates scored one more point than they did a year ago when they got housed by 40. Except that this time, they won.
"It's a win," Pirates head coach Donovan Rose exhaled after the 7-6 affair. "We could win by point-five. I'll take it. That's 4-0 in the conference. I don't know what everybody else does, but I know we're steadily going forward."
DURHAM, N.C. – Hampton scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter and rallied beat North Carolina Central for the second straight year. The Pirates prevailed 27-13 thanks to a 19-yard touchdown reception by Javaris Brown and interception returns of 55 yards by Matt Davis and 68 yards by Ricardo Silva all in the final 10 minutes of the game.
Hampton won its fourth straight game this season and seventh straight over the Eagles in the series that was renewed last season with NCCU's acceptance into the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. A year ago, Hampton scored the game-winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter to beat the Eagles. Next season with NCCU gaining full conference membership, the game will count in the MEAC standings.
DURHAM, N.C. -- Hampton's Matt Davis and Ricardo Silva scored on long interception returns as the Pirates rallied with 20 fourth-quarter points for a 27-13 win over N.C. Central on Saturday.
Hampton (4-1) trailed 13-0 with 10:56 left in the first half before Isiah Thomas scored on a 6-yard run to make it 13-7. The Eagles (2-3) missed a 27-yard field-goal attempt early in the fourth quarter.
The schools are a day away from becoming rivals on the football field. But are William and Mary and Old Dominion also beginning a heated recruiting battle for Hampton Roads talent? No more so, say officials at both universities, than any other in-state programs.
"From a recruiting standpoint, I really feel like it's us, William and Mary, Richmond and JMU, the four of us, all waving that CAA flag to the kids," ODU coach Bobby Wilder said. "I say that with all due respect to the two MEAC teams (Hampton and Norfolk State) that are in-state and the two Big South teams (Liberty and VMI) that are in-state. We're trying to wave that CAA flag, so we are competing for the same kids.
"Now, you get kids that are at different levels of interest in the school, kids who want a city school, or a liberal arts school, or a private school. But we've all waving the same flag."
MOUNT PLEASANT, MI -- The Dan Enos coaching era at Central Michigan University began with a bang. Solid play by special teams got it going as the Chippewas built a large early lead and cruised to a 33-0 win against Hampton on Thursday night in front of 17,311 fans at Kelly/Shorts Stadium. The opening-game shutout was the first by CMU since 1979, when the Chippewas beat Western Michigan 10-0 in the school's first Mid-American Conference championship season. It also marked Hampton's first shutout since 1984, a 44-0 loss to Tennessee St.
"Obviously, we won, and that was the goal the entire season," Enos said. "Special teams, we challenged the kids all week that we should make a difference. We really hammered that home, and we thought we made a huge impact with their play today."
Special teams came into play on the Pirates' second drive when redshirt freshman long snapper Vincent Harper snapped the ball over the head of punter Jordan Stovall and into the end zone for a CMU safety. On the ensuing kickoff, Central Michigan sophomore wide receiver and kick returner Cody Wilson raced 81 yards to the Hampton 4-yard line. A face mask penalty advanced the ball to the 2.
Columbia, SC -- In a prepared statement, former Gamecock offensive lineman Quintin Richardson announced that he was leaving the University of South Carolina to pursue an education at Hampton University. He called his time as a Gamecock, "the most rewarding experience of my life." Richardson said that he would continue to pursue his collegiate football career at Hampton University.
The proof of the larger role Hampton University expects Steve Robinson to play this season is right there in the glossy photograph. Robinson, a senior who rushed for 510 yards and four touchdowns after transferring to HU from Georgia Military College last season, clutches his helmet and stares confidently at the camera as one of four players on the cover of the Pirates' 2010 media guide.
"I've been waiting ever since last year to show my skills," Robinson said. "I knew my role last year, (but) this year, I'm looking to make big plays for the team." Last year, Robinson's role was backing up LaMarcus Coker, who led the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with 1,027 yards on the ground and rushed for six TDs. Robinson, 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds...
In the 20 years Hampton head coach Donovan Rose has been associated with Hampton University he has never had the opportunity to play a D-1 team. Rose will get his chance when he steps into Mt. Pleasant, Michigan on Sept. 2nd to take on the reigning Mid American Conference champions, the Central Michigan Chippewas.
In only his second season as the head coach, Rose is looking to improve upon a 5-6 campaign last year by catching newly minted CMU head coach Dan Enos off guard.
Rose admits the task of beating the Chips' won't be easy; he fully expects them to unleash their full arsenal of weapons...
After Donovan Rose's first season as head coach at Hampton University ended in a 5-6 mark and the Pirates' first losing record since 1996, a few shakeups took place. Most notably, a new, yet familiar, offensive coordinator is now calling plays in one of several changes on Rose's coaching staff. The tweaks will be tested right away, as HU opens the 2010 season at I-A Central Michigan on Sept. 2. Here are five key questions going into that game:
Who is the Pirates' starting quarterback? Herb Bynes, HU's starter in 2008, split time behind center with Syracuse transfer David Legree last season. But the ankle injury that hampered Bynes throughout 2009 required offseason surgery, curtailing his participation in spring practice and effectively handing the offense to Legree, who threw for 803 yards and seven touchdowns last year to Bynes' 987 yards and eight TDs. Legree will begin the year as the Pirates' starter, with Rose hoping Bynes is healthy enough to provide an experienced option. "We've got two experienced guys, and we'll see what happens," Rose said. "Starting off, it will be David, and hopefully Herb will be back in his raw form. But I think it's a great situation to have two quarterbacks that can come in and control the team."
Hampton University's American and Collegiate Indoor record holder Francena McCorory, won her third NCAA National Championship title in the 400 meters on Friday. The senior All-American is from Bethel High School, Hampton, Virginia.
(photo by Mark Sutton)
EUGENE, Oregon – Hampton University senior Francena McCorory made her final collegiate track meet unforgettable, winning her third NCAA championship by outracing her competitors in the 400-meter dash late Friday night at famed Hayward Field.
McCorory ran a season-best time of 50.69 seconds to take her third title in the event – her first in the outdoor season. The Bethel High graduate also won the indoor 400 in 2009 with a 51.54, before repeating that title in March 2010, setting the American record with a 50.54. McCorory's title is also the fifth NCAA Division I crown in HU history; former Lady Pirate Yvette Lewis, who attended Denbigh High and then Menchville, won a pair of NCAA triple-jump titles, taking the indoor crown in 2006 and the outdoor title in 2007.
The Pirates sophomore sprinter Reggie Dixon ran a 10.39 in the 100-meter dash final to finish seventh. Jeff Demps of Florida won in 9.96. Dixon, from Plainfield, N.J., ran the seventh-fastest preliminary time in the 100-meter dash, turning in a 10.24 to advance to the final. The Hampton men's team finished the meet tied for 60th and the women's team was tied for 26th place with Georgia and Hawaii-Manoa.
Francena McCorory of Hampton Breaks the American and Collegiate Indoor Record with an amazing run of 50.54 at the 2010 NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships earlier this year.
HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men’s basketball team got back into the win column Monday night, defeating the Tigers of Towson University 78-67 at the HU Convocation Center.
