Hampton Bounce Back with Dominating win over East Carolina

HAMPTON, Virginia - The Hampton University women’s basketball team bounced back into the win column Monday night at the HU Convocation Center, pouncing on East Carolina early en route to a 76-48 win.

The Lady Pirates (10-3) still have not lost back-to-back games since November of last season, and Hampton has held seven of its last nine opponents under 50 points. Hampton is the first team to score more than 65 points against East Carolina this season.

Senior guard Jericka Jenkins (Lancaster, Texas), the MEAC Player of the Week, led the way with 25 points on 9-for-18 shooting, while also recording 10 assists for her second double-double of the season. Sophomore guard Alyssa Bennett (Hampton, Va.) poured in a career-high 18 points, while junior forward Keiara Avant (Chesapeake, Va.) added 14 points and a team-high 10 rebounds for her third double of the season.

Hampton wasted no time establishing control, jumping out to a 17-3 lead at the 15:22 mark of the first half after a fastbreak layup from Avant. Hampton’s lead grew to 21-5 almost a minute later, when Bennett sank a layup at the 14:23 mark.  A Bennett jumper with 10:59 left in the half put Hampton up 27-6.

FINAL STATS

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East Carolina Suffers Defeat At Hampton

HAMPTON, Virginia - A large halftime deficit was too much for East Carolina to overcome Monday night, as it fell to Hampton 76-48 at the HU Convocation Center. The Pirates close non-conference play with a 6-7 record while the Lady Pirates improve to 10-3 overall.

Senior Chareya Smith netted 13 points to lead ECU offensively and freshman Tatiana Chapple corralled a team-best seven rebounds. Jericka Jenkins was the force for Hampton as she led three Hampton players in double figures with 25 points before exiting the game late.

The Lady Pirates held the upper hand over East Carolina in shooting percentage, nailing 48 percent of their tries from the field as compared to 37 percent for ECU. Hampton also enjoyed a healthy rebounding advantage at 40-29 with 15 offensive boards to its credit. The visiting Pirates were plagued by 20 turnovers, which allowed the Lady Pirates to score 16 second chance points.

Hampton jumped out to a 13-3 lead when Jenkins hit a three-point field goal with 16:09 on the clock, forcing a quick timeout from the Pirate sideline. The Lady Pirates continued the run, stretching their advantage to 21-5 a few minutes later.

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Tulane Wins Tulane/DoubleTree Classic with 66-53 Win Over Hampton

JERICKA JENKINS
5'-4" SENIOR GUARD
HOMETOWN: LANCASTER, TEXAS
TULANE/DOUBLETREE ALL-
TOURNAMENT TEAM

 NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana - Much has been made of the Tulane University women's basketball freshman class during the early portion of the 2011-12 season, but on Thursday evening in Fogelman Arena, it was the upperclassmen's turn to shine as the Green Wave defeated Hampton, 66-53, in the championship game of the Tulane/DoubleTree Classic.

Junior guard Olivia Grayson scored 24 of her team-leading 26 points in the second half while senior center Brett Benzio posted her fifth double-double of the year with 13 rebounds and a career-best 21 points. The win marked the Wave's fourth consecutive Tulane/DoubleTree Classic title as Tulane concluded its pre-conference schedule 11-2. Hampton, meanwhile, fell to 9-3.

Grayson added five assists, four rebounds and a pair of steals to her scoring output. She was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after averaging 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals while connecting at a 44.4 field goal percentage (12-of-27) and hitting 75.0 percent of her free throws (12-fo16) during the two-day event. Benzio was named to the Tulane/DoubleTree Classic All-Tournament Team, as were Hampton's Jericka Jenkins and Ariel Phelps, Central Michigan's Jessica Green and College of Charleston's Latisha Harris.

Tulane shot 41.8 percent from the field against the Lady Pirates, including a 15-for-29 performance (.517) in the second half which saw the Green Wave turn a two-point halftime lead into a 13-point victory. Defensively, the Green Wave held Hampton to a .298 clip (17-of-57).

"We knew they were going to be tough," Grayson said of Hampton. "We watched them the night before and we saw how they played. They're a real scrappy team. We just prepared for that at shoot-around and we knew we were going to have to take care of the ball. It was just something that we prepared for before the game."

FINAL STATS

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LADY PIRATES FALL TO TULANE IN DOUBLETREE TITLE GAME



ARIEL PHELPS
6'-2'  JUNIOR FORWARD
HOMETOWN: VIRGINIA BEACH, VA
TULANE/DOUBLETREE ALL-
TOURNAMENT TEAM

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The Hampton University women’s basketball team fell Thursday night in the championship game of the DoubleTree Classic, as host Tulane won the game and the title 66-53 at Fogelman Arena.

The Lady Pirates (9-3) have lost two of their last three games, but have still won 33 of their last 39 games dating back to last season.

Senior guard Jericka Jenkins (Lancaster, Texas) led the way with 28 points despite 7-for-22 shooting. She hit three of her nine 3-pointers and all 11 free throws, while also dishing out seven assists. Junior forward Ariel Phelps (Virginia Beach, Va.) poured in eight points to go along with a team-high 10 rebounds.

Both Jenkins and Phelps were named to the All-Tournament Team.

The game was a defensive struggle from the opening tip, as neither team scored until Jenkins drained a pair of free throws with 13:57 left in the first half. The first field goal of the game came at the 12:58 mark, when Tiffany Dale hit a layup to tie the game at 2-2.

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A second look: Justin Durant played like he hadn't been to the playoffs since 1999

DETROIT, Michigan - While it hasn't quite been 12 years, it's been some time since Detroit Lions linebacker Justin Durant had played in such a meaningful football game.

After a successful college career at Hampton University which included three MEAC Defensive Player of the Year awards and three Divisison I-AA/FCS playoff appearances, Durant was drafted in the second round by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2007.

In Durant's rookie year, he played in 13 games and the Jaguars went 11-5. They went on to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the opening round of the playoffs before being eliminated by the undefeated New England Patriots, 31-20.



The Jaguars fell on hard times after that season going 20-28 over the next three years, and missing the playoffs each time. After four years in Jacksonville, Durant opted to sign with Detroit prior to the 2011 season.



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HBCU Detroit Lions Spotlight 

ACTIVE 
#   NAME              POS   HT.   WT.   AGE      EXP.     SCHOOL
 31 Carey, Don       DB     5-11  192    24           3          Norfolk State

52

Durant, Justin

LB

6-1

240

26

5

Hampton

91

Hill, Sammie

DT

6-4

329

25

3

Stillman

39

Silva, Ricardo

S

6-3

225

23

R

Hampton

INJURED RESERVE

72

Culbreath, Johnny

T

6-5

322

23

R

South Carolina State

PRACTICE SQUAD/INJURED

86

Hughes, Nate

WR

6-2

195

26

3

Alcorn State

Hampton Lady Pirates knock off Boston College, 71-63

CHESTNUT HILL, Massachusetts -- Sophomore Katie Zenevitch posted a double-double, as Boston College (4-7) suffered a 71-63 loss to Hampton (8-2) in the Eagles' last game before the holiday break on Dec. 22.  Zenevitch recorded 13 points and pulled down 10 defensive rebounds. Sophomore Tiffany Ruffinled the Eagles with 15 points in the outing.

Hampton was strong on the boards, outrebounding BC, 40-30. The Pirates pulled down 21 offensive rebounds, compared to the Eagles' seven. BC shot 47.8 percent from the field, compared to HU's 33.3 percent.

The Pirates came alive in the second half to steal the momentum and the game. HU used an 11-0 run to take its first lead of the half, up 54-51, with 7:41 to play. The teams traded baskets, with the Pirates holding onto their three-point buffer, until Ruffin went 2-for-2 at the line to make it a 58-57 game with 4:43 to go.

Zenevitch followed, putting the Eagles back on top with a layup, but HU came back quickly, using a 9-1 run to regain the lead and seal the victory, going up 67-60, with just over a minute to play. Ruffin sunk a three in the final minute, but the Pirates added four points from the line to walk away with the 71-63 win.

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Jenkins pours in points, assists as Hampton U women beat UMBC

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Other than assist totals that make one wonder if the official scorer has been drinking, the ways Jericka Jenkins wills Hampton University to wins don't always show up in box scores. On Saturday night, though, her value couldn't have been clearer.

Against Maryland-Baltimore County, the Lady Pirates' saw a 17-point lead shrink to 12 early in the second half. There was cause for concern, especially considering HU's first-half scoring drought of nearly six and a half minutes.

That is, until Jenkins, the Lady Pirates' 5-foot-4 senior point guard and floor leader, saw a wide-open lane and headed for the basket. Fouled on the shot attempt, she made two free throws to push Hampton's lead to 44-30 and stem UMBC's momentum.

She was just getting warmed up. Jenkins then scored 11 of her season-high 26 points in a four-minute span, hitting back-to-back 3-pointers, a pair of jumpers and another 3 as HU pulled away for a 75-47 victory.

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Big Apple Classic: Hampton Pirates Uses Its Experience To Defeat Howard Bison

New York, NY — Hampton University used its decided edge in experience to pull away to a 71-53 win over Howard University in the Big Apple Classic at Madison Square Garden.

The Pirates (4-4 overall, 1-1 in the MEAC), who are the defending MEAC tournament champions, start four seniors and have reserves who are game tested and it showed against the young Bison, who have nine new players on the roster, including seven freshmen.

After Howard (2-5 overall, 0-1 in the MEAC) opened the second half with a 17-5 run to erase a 13-point halftime deficit and get to within one at 41-40, the Pirates calmly responded with a run of their own to take a 54-40 lead midway through the second half. The run was led by seniors Darrion Pellum and Christopher Tolson, who combined for 17 second half points.

"It was a game of runs and they happened to make more runs than we did," said Howard second year head coach Kevin Nickelberry. "We started five freshmen in the second half and they helped us get back into the game with their energy. But their coaching staff did a good job of making some adjustments after that by going small and it gave us some problems matching up with them."

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Hampton Pirates struggle; lose MEAC opener to Savannah State

HAMPTON, Virginia - The Pirates of Hampton University men’s basketball team did not open conference play the way it hoped Thursday night at the HU Convocation Center, falling 65-49 to conference newcomer Savannah State.

The Pirates, who seemed like they couldn’t get anything going throughout the game, made just 14 shots, shooting 30 percent from the floor and going 0-for-12 from 3-point range. Savannah State picked up its first-ever win over Hampton in three meetings. Hampton (3-4, 0-1 MEAC) went almost 15 minutes in the second half without making a field goal. After being down 39-26 at the half, the Pirates battled back to within three points when senior Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.) nailed a jumper at the 15:56 mark to cut Savannah State’s lead to 39-36 and cap a 10-0 run to open the second half.



But the Pirates would get no closer. The Tigers (3-5, 1-0 MEAC) would extend their lead back to as many as 18 points. Hampton would not get another field goal until the final seconds of the game, when senior Mike Tuitt (Bronx, N.Y.) made a floater in the lane.

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Hampton Pirates have a happy Senior Day; Morgan St. falls 42-18

HAMPTON, Virginia -- The Pirates of Hampton University closed out the 2011 football season it great style, beating the Bears of Morgan State at Armstrong Stadium on Saturday. With the victory, the Pirates closed out the season with a 7-4 overall record and a 5-3 mark in conference play.

The Bears fell to 5-6 on the year and closed with a 4-4 record in MEAC play. Hampton got off a seemingly slow start, punting on their first possession, but they turned around and scored on their second possession, when quarterback Bradford Hudson connected with Isaiah Thomas from 10 yards out to put Hampton up 7-0.



Hampton’s defense also came ready to play in the first half, holding Morgan State to just a 33-yard field goal by Ervin Gonzalez to make the score 7-3 after two quarters. The Pirates came out in the second half firing on all cylinders behind freshman quarterback Travis Champion, who threw for 192 yards and three touchdowns in the second half alone.

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Champion performance

Hampton true freshman quarterback Travis Champion had a pretty good two quarters of work on Saturday.

With the Pirates up 7-3 going into the third quarter after fellow freshman Brad Hudson had gone 6-of-13 for 59 yards and a touchdown in the first half, Champion got the ball to open the third quarter against Morgan State. The product of Rancho Verde (Calif.) High, where he threw for 2,400 yards and 28 TDs as a senior, promptly led a six-play, 63-yard scoring drive, capped by his 25-yard pass to Isiah Thomas.

Champion also threw TD passes of 33 and 27 yards as he went 13-of-17 for 192 yards, three scores and one interception. "That's not bad for a freshman," HU coach Donovan Rose said.



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Hampton Pirates get defensive; take sting out DSU Hornets

Hampton, Virginia -- The Hampton University football team scored 28 points in the fourth quarter on its way to a 42-6 rout of the Hornets of Delaware State at Armstrong Stadium on Saturday.

Turnovers were the key in the game for both teams. On the second play of the game, Delbert Tyler got his first of two interceptions on the day and took it back 40 yards for a touchdown. Hampton’s defense would force four turnovers in the first half, with three interceptions and a fumble recovery. Following Tyler’s interception, Destin Route forced a fumble before Tyler got his second interception of the game. Micah Pellerin would also get in on the action, when he got an interception to stop a Hornets drive.



After some back-and-forth between the two teams, Hampton went into the half with a 7-0 lead.

Hampton came out in the second half moving a lot quicker. Following a forced punt by the defense and a great punt return by Justin Blake, the Pirates went 45 yards in just three plays for their second score of the day, going up 14-0 when quarterback Bradford Hudson threw his first career touchdown pass to Dyrri McCain.

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DSU's seven turnovers lead to another loss

HAMPTON, Va. — Delaware State committed seven turnovers, including a school-record six interceptions, in a 42-6 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference loss to Hampton on Saturday. The Hornets (2-8 overall, 0-7 MEAC) dropped their eighth straight game.

Delaware State trailed 14-6 after scoring its lone touchdown on a 16-yard run by Travis Tarpley with 12:56 left to play. The score capped a 10-play, 81-yard drive. Hampton scored 28 unanswered points in the last 8:41 to put the Hornets away.

Josh Bailey, a former junior college quarterback who has competed at running back most of the season, played the entire game at quarterback for the Hornets. He completed 17-of-39 passes for 134 yards and six interceptions.

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HU Pirates Down William & Mary in Season Opener

Hampton, Virginia -- The Hampton University men’s basketball team opened the 2011-12 season against the Tribe of William & Mary in front of a crowd of more than 4,000 at the HU Convocation Center, winning 73-58. Hampton (1-0) handed the Tribe their second loss of the season.

“It was a good first game and we still have a lot that we are trying to find out about the team,” said head coach Edward Joyner Jr. “We got out to a really slow start and William & Mary is a really good team and they shot the ball really well, so we knew that we had to play good defense.”

The Pirates started the game on a 5-0 run before the Tribe would get on the board by a score by Marcus Thornton. Hampton shot 38 percent from the floor in the first half, making 12 of 31 shots taken and going five-of-14 from beyond the 3-point arc. The Pirates were led by guard Darrion Pellum, who scored 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting.

Thornton scored 11 to lead the Tribe at the half.

Hampton took the lead at the 5:54 mark in the first half and never looked back, going into the half leading 32-26. The Pirates opened the second half on a 19-8 run, on their way to scoring 41 second-half points. William & Mary would follow that run by going on a 10-4 run to cut Hampton’s lead to 55-45.

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Hampton Lady Pirates opens season at Pittsburgh Panthers

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania – The University of Pittsburgh women’s basketball team will open the 2011-12 season against Hampton on Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Petersen Events Center. Tip-off time is set for 2 p.m. Live stats, audio and video will be available through www.pittsburghpanthers.com. Scott Stiller and former Panther Karyle Lim, in her first broadcast, will have the call courtside on WJAS 1320 AM.

Head Coach Agnus Berenato begins her ninth season at Pitt on Saturday, 14 victories away from tying the all-time program mark for wins in women’s basketball.

Pitt returns five letterwinners from a squad that went 14-17 a season ago. The Panthers will take on the task of replacing over 75 percent of its scoring from a season ago with the highest recruiting class in program history (No. 19/Hoopgurlz).

The Pirates have captured the last two-straight MEAC tournament crowns and have won 24 of their last 27 contests. Hampton’s last loss came in the NCAA Tournament first round, an overtime setback at the hands of Kentucky.

Scouting the Lady Pirates

Hampton went 25-7 in 2010-11 and captured the MEAC title, advancing to the NCAA Tournament with the league’s automatic bid. The squad won 14 of its last 15 games before the overtime loss to Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament. In total, Hampton has won 24 of its last 27 contests.

The Lady Pirates return three starters led by senior guard Jericka Jenkins. The Texas native played in 28 games last season, averaging 13.4 points and 3.1 rebounds. Jenkins – a 5-4 guard - had a breakout season and was named Honorable Mention All-America, while ranked second in the nation in assists (201/7.2 assists per game). She is joined by classmates Choicetta McMillian (11.6 points and 3.8 rebounds per game) and Melanie Warner, (9.8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, .5 bpg). Hampton brings in eight newcomers to complement its roster.

The Lady Pirates have won the past two-straight conference tournament crowns (and one regular season title) and rank among the most successful programs in Virginia over the past two seasons. The 45-19 two-year record is third only to James Madison (52-15) and Liberty (49-17) over the same span. The change coincides with head coach David Six, who begins his third season at Hampton this season.

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Game 1 vs. Hampton
Video Live: www.pittsburghpanthers.com.

Jenkines signs with Hampton

Clarksville, Tennessee -- With all the attention and focus on Clarksville High and its five senior basketball players signing Division I scholarships on Wednesday afternoon, it may be easy to forget the city had another major college talent heading to a D-I program.

Kenwood held its own signing day, early Wednesday morning, honoring forward Blake Jenkines who signed with Hampton University, adding the total of Wednesday's signings to six.

"I was very excited," Jenkines said. "The entire team came up with me. We were out in front of the whole school and my pastor from my church was there too. I was really excited to have a day like this and grateful."

Jenkines has fought hard to carve out her own niche among what is arguably the greatest assembly of basketball talent the city has produced at one time. And while most of Clarksville's stars couldn't have imagined a day like Wednesday, Jenkines figured it would happen at some point.

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Howard defeats Hampton 10-7, its first win since 1995 in battle of the 'Real HU'

HAMPTON, Virginia — Gary Harrell insisted his Howard Bison don't get caught up in any "Real HU" rivalry with Hampton. The sight of his players bathing Harrell in three Gatorade showers as their coach gestured triumphantly toward Howard fans after his team's 10-7 victory Saturday at Armstrong Stadium suggested otherwise.

Of course, Hampton's supporters probably aren't familiar with a typical Howard celebration, since it's been so long since they've witnessed one. The Pirates came in having won 14 straight in the series, with Howard's last victory coming in 1995. But on this chilly, blustery afternoon, that streak died — along with Hampton's dreams of claiming a share of the MEAC title.

At least that was the opinion of Hampton coach Donovan Rose, who didn't need to wait for the results of games involving conference leaders Norfolk State and Morgan State to offer what amounted to a concession speech.

"That's over now," a solemn Rose said of the Pirates' title chances. "All we can do now, hopefully, is having a winning season."

Despite subpar offense all afternoon, the Pirates (5-4, 3-3 MEAC) positioned themselves to steal this one late in the third quarter when, trailing by three, they had first-and-goal at the Howard 2-yard line.

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Pirates lose the battle of the "Real HU"

HAMPTON, Virginia - For the first time since 1995, Howard claimed the Battle of the Real HU in a series that had become a one-sided battle for the past 15 years. After the dust had cleared, Howard left Armstrong Stadium on Saturday with a 10-7 win over Hampton.

Hampton (5-4, 4-3 MEAC) seemed like it was out of sync the entire first half, as the Pirates were unable to get on the scoreboard. As for Howard (5-5, 4-3 MEAC), the Bison were able to get in the red zone, but couldn’t convert as the Pirates defense forced a turnover and prevented the Bison from scoring. Hampton’s defense held the Bison out of end zone on two different occasions and forced Howard to attempt a field goal on both. The Pirates defense also forced a fumble in the end zone late in the game, which became the only score of the day for Hampton.

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Big Apple Classic 2011, Howard vs. Hampton; Virginia Union vs. Virginia State at Madison Square Garden - New York

HU Lady Pirates win second straight MEAC Cross Country Title

PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland -– The Hampton University women’s cross country team won the 2011 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) cross country title on Saturday morning at the UMES Cross Country Course.

It was the second straight MEAC title for the Lady Pirates and their fourth overall. The Lady Pirates finished with 53 points, five points fewer than second-place Florida A&M.

Four Lady Pirates finished in the top 15 to earn All-MEAC honors – led by sophomore Alaine Tate (Queens, N.Y.), who finished sixth after completing the 5K course in 19:16.88. Sophomore Nichelle Harris (Rahway, N.J.) came in seventh after running a 19:17.69.

Junior Teshika Rivers (Greenbelt, Md.) ran a 19:39.55 to finish 10th, while sophomore Devyn Thompson (Chicago, Ill.) came in 11th with a time of 19:42.67.

Sophomore Cydney Robinson (Portsmouth, Va.) also came in the top 20, finishing 19th with a season-best 20:13.75. Junior Shaquanda Gainey (Camden, N.J.) ran a 20:32.95 to finish 24th, while senior Claudia Calder (Kingston, Jamaica), in just her second race of the season, ran a 22:30.01 to finish 57th.

In all, the Lady Pirates averaged a 19:38.11 as a team.

Head coach Maurice Pierce was named the Most Outstanding Coach on the women’s side for the fourth time in his tenure with the Lady Pirates.

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Hampton pulls away from SSU, 22-5

Savannah, Georgia -- An ugly game looked pretty to Savannah State for 30 minutes. But the Tigers couldn’t generate offense in the second half, and a strong defensive effort was wasted during a 22-5 loss to Hampton on SSU’s homecoming at T.A. Wright Stadium on Saturday.

Savannah State dropped its fourth game in a row and fell to 1-7 overall, 1-4 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play.

Hampton, which played without MEAC passing leader quarterback David Legree, has won two straight while improving to 5-3, 3-2 in conference play.

“Any loss, whether you play well or not, it’s a not a great feeling,” said SSU linebacker Nate Clay, who had a game-high 16 tackles, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and a tackle for loss that resulted in a safety.

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SSU NOTEBOOK: Tigers defense plays well despite loss to Hampton

Savannah, Georgia -- Savannah State’s defense played its best game of the season Saturday against Hampton University. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough.

The visiting Pirates scored 19 points during the final 16 minutes and 35 seconds and defeated the Tigers, 22-5, before SSU’s announced homecoming crowd of 10,375 at T.A. Wright Stadium.

After an opening 56-yard drive that resulted in a field goal, SSU held Hampton scoreless and to just 141 yards for the next 38 minutes.

The Pirates played without MEAC-leading passer David Legree, but a week ago beat North Carolina Central when Travis Champion came off the bench and led the team to two touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.

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Click here to view photos from the game.

Norfolk State wins Battle of the Bay, beats Hampton U. 34-24

Norfolk, Virginia -- Norfolk State's first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship is now a little closer to reality, while Hampton's first league title since 2006 slipped further out of reach.

The Spartans jumped out to a 20-point lead, then held off a second-half rally to beat the Pirates 34-24 on Saturday at Dick Price Stadium in the 49th annual Battle of the Bay. Norfolk State improved to 6-1 for the second time since joining the Division I ranks in 1997 and 4-0 in the MEAC for the first time since 2007, while Hampton fell to 3-3 and 1-2.

"We preached to our guys all week: This is why you play the game, to be in a position like this and kind of control your destiny," third-year HU coach Donovan Rose said. " … It's real tough. You can't allow a team to get 27 points in the first half."



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Norfolk State loving its spread, thriving in Walley World

NORFOLK, Virginia — With Saturday's 34-24 win over Hampton University, Norfolk State is 6-1 for only the second time since becoming moving up to Division I in 1997. But to trace the Spartans' success, go back to a four-game stretch last fall in which they went 0-4 and scored only two offensive touchdowns.

No coach relishes changing his offensive scheme with four weeks left in the season, but that's what NSU's Pete Adrian felt compelled to do. And ever they ditched the power game and went with the no-huddle spread, the Spartans are 10-1 and averaging 29 points a game.

Norfolk State raced out to a 17-0 first-quarter lead thanks to premium field position. Hampton won the opening coin toss and elected to receive, leaving the Pirates playing into a stiff wind that played a role in punts of 23 and 28 yards on their first two possessions. Those kicks gave the Spartans the ball at the Hampton 39 and 29, and Norfolk State scored touchdowns on both abbreviated drives.

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Big plays at right time put Walley, NSU in rarefied air

NORFOLK, Virginia - A few minutes before kickoff Saturday, the Norfolk State band played its team onto the field to "We Are the Champions." The Spartans, who remain undefeated in the MEAC, like the sound of that, but for the time being, they'd be happy to be included in the FCS top 25. They will be now.

"Hard to keep us out at six and one," coach Pete Adrian said after his team defeated Hampton 34-24 at Dick Price Stadium.

Norfolk State knocked on the door last week, finishing 26th in the vote. The door started to come off its hinges when the Spartans jumped to a 17-0 lead in the first quarter. By then, Chris Walley had already thrown two of his three first-half touchdown passes en route to racking up 265 yards through the air.

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Hampton, Norfolk State to renew 'Battle of the Bay'

Norfolk, Virginia – Hampton football coach Don Rose is headed to his native Norfolk on Saturday, but he laughs nobody will be giving him a homecoming. He knows Norfolk State is not in the giving mood this season. The Spartans have surrendered the ball only three times this season, which is tied for the fewest turnovers in the FCS.

Not surprisingly, Norfolk State is off to a 5-1 start and sits atop the MEAC with a 3-0 conference record. That factor adds to the Spartans' 49th meeting with neighboring Hampton in the "Battle of the Bay" at Dick Price Stadium.




Hampton (3-2, 1-1) risks falling out of the MEAC title race if it doesn't pull an upset. The meeting features an excellent showdown of two of the conference's top quarterbacks, Hampton's David Legree and Norfolk State's Chris Walley. Each signal-caller went over 300 passing yards last weekend to set a career high.

"The conference standings, that's fine. And the rivalry, that's fine," Rose said. "You know it comes down to you've got two teams and there's only one that's going to come out victorous. The team that executes the best (in) the six inches between the ears will take care of that battle."



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Whitehurst takes long journey to reach pros

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia —— If it weren't for shaky grades, no college scholarship, a transfer, a lack of interest from NFL scouts, a bum ankle during arena league tryouts and the Hartford Colonials folding, former Bethel High standout Kyle Whitehurst believes he would been a pro football player a long time ago.

None of that matters now. At 29 years old, all the Virginia Destroyers cornerback knows is he's a pro football player now.



"I get guys come up to me and they're like, 'Oh, you play for the Destroyers, huh? Can I try out?' " Whitehurst said. "And I'm like, 'Yeah, if you want to be embarrassed.' I'm in a meeting the other day and I'm looking around and it's like all these guys played in the NFL. And all I needed was a chance."

For much of the past decade, circumstances seemingly left Whitehurst with a better chance of winning the lottery. But he's always kept the football faith, dating back to when no colleges came calling when his Bethel career ended, forcing him to endure two walk-on years — one as a Proposition 48 academic casualty — at ...

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Hampton Pirates to play host to Princeton

HAMPTON, VA – The Hampton University football team will return to Armstrong Stadium on Saturday, when the Pirates take on Princeton at 1 p.m. to celebrate Alumni Day and Military Appreciation Day.

The Pirates (2-2) are coming off their bye week, having last played on Sept. 22 – a 35-31 loss at Bethune-Cookman on ESPNU. Princeton (1-2) picked up its first win of the season this past Saturday, beating Ivy League foe Columbia 24-21.

The Pirates are 1-0 all-time against Princeton, having won the only previous meeting between the two schools 48-27 in 2007 in Princeton, N.J. Saturday’s contest will mark the Tigers’ first-ever trip to Armstrong Stadium. The Pirates are 2-1 all-time against schools in the Ivy League, including their 1-0 mark against Princeton. Hampton is 1-1 all-time against Columbia, but the two teams haven’t met since the 1907 season, when Columbia took a 1-0 win.



Hampton’s 42 points against Old Dominion on Sept. 17 were the most the Pirates scored in a game since beating North Carolina A&T 35-21 on Sept. 18, 2010. The last time Hampton cracked the 40-point mark was on Sept. 20, 2008, when the Pirates defeated North Carolina A&T 44-7. Hampton followed that with 31 points at Bethune-Cookman on Sept. 22.

Thanks in large part to its offensive performances at ODU and Bethune-Cookman, Hampton, guided by first-year offensive coordinator Willie Snead III, is second in the MEAC in both scoring offense (29.2 points per game) and total offense (397.0 yards per game).

For the season, senior quarterback David Legree (Brooklyn, N.Y.) is completing 61 percent of his passes (75-for-123) for 852 yards and five touchdowns so far this season. Legree is second in the MEAC in passing, averaging 213.0 yards per game, while also sitting seventh in the MEAC with 59.5 rushing yards per contest.



Sophomore running back Antwon Chisholm (Belle Glade, Fla.), the reigning MEAC Rookie of the Year, is averaging 4 6 yards per carry, and is currently second in the MEAC in rushing with an average of 76.2 rushing yards per game despite his struggles against Old Dominion.

Sophomore linebacker Delbert Tyler (Monroeville, Pa.) is currently third in the MEAC in tackles with 42, averaging 10.5 per game, while junior linebacker Lyndell Gibson (Virginia Beach, Va.), a Virginia Tech transfer, is fifth in the conference with 40 tackles, an average of 10.0 per game. Junior defensive back Justin Blake (Piscataway, N.J.) is eighth in the MEAC with 38 tackles, 9.5 per contest.

Senior defensive back James Butts (Norfolk, Va.) is tied for fifth in the MEAC with five passes defended so far this season. Sophomore defensive end Robert Copeland (Hampton, Va.) leads the MEAC in forced fumbles with two. He also has one recorded fumble, which places him seventh in the conference.

For more information on Hampton University football, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at hamptonpirates.

By Hampton University Sports Information
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