Post by aggiejazz on Dec 30, 2007 12:46:14 GMT -5
This is true for both men and women basketball teams of A&T's Dawg Pound.
HU men again prey on the CAA
Hampton downs William and Mary at home to go 3-1 against CAA opponents.
BY JENNIFER WILLIAMS | 247-4644
10:21 PM EST, December 29, 2007
HAMPTON - HAMPTON -- Flawless it wasn't, but Hampton University got the better end of Saturday night's meeting of local basketball teams.
The Pirates used a strong second-half surge to build a lead that stood up to William and Mary's late rally for a 70-63 victory at the HU Convocation Center. Hampton ran its record to 6-6 going into a break until its Jan. 12 game with Bethune-Cookman, its second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the start to the full conference schedule.
Hampton was short starting post player Matt Pilgrim with a foot sprain, plus reserves Brandon Tunnell and Lionel Pehoua with injury and illness. Forward Mike Freeman fought through an arm bruise to make the lineup as a late addition to start for the Pirates, and he contributed 11 points and six rebounds.
"It was a pleasant surprise when Mike said he wanted to try it -- obviously he's very sore," Hampton coach Kevin Nickelberry said.
The Tribe, falling short of coach Tony Shaver's 400th career victory, takes a 3-7 mark into Colonial Athletic Association play. It had won the last three meetings with HU.
"3-1 in the CAA!" HU guard Rashad West told Nickelberry as he left the press room.
Hampton has beaten Delaware and VCU and lost to George Mason. The Pirates, the preseason pick to win the MEAC, ended a two-game losing streak.
With a lot of defensive pressure going both ways, William and Mary committed 20 turnovers and Hampton 19.
Hampton's 21-4 run midway through the second half was the difference. The Pirates ballooned a 33-29 lead to 54-33.
"During that stretch, as well as our down times, it's our turnovers that are killing us," Shaver said. "You come in and outrebound this team, you should win the ballgame. Turnovers were the difference for us and poor shooting."
What happened at halftime?
West, HU's high scorer with 29 points, said it was the usual halftime motivational speech and then some. "We talked about just getting the loose balls," West said.
Hampton point guard Jordan Brooks, a freshman, had a season high 12 points. Reserve Jonathan Ntoko and forward Theo Smalling played key minutes.
"We have a lot of injuries and Coach kept telling me he wanted me to be a little more aggressive," Brooks said. "I just wanted to take that and come out and try to make a lot more things happen."
The Tribe chipped away late to cut the lead to single digits, but Hampton had enough of a cushion to withstand it.
"I told the guys -- 40 minutes," Nickelberry said. "I thought over the long run, our pressure would start to affect them."
HU men again prey on the CAA
Hampton downs William and Mary at home to go 3-1 against CAA opponents.
BY JENNIFER WILLIAMS | 247-4644
10:21 PM EST, December 29, 2007
HAMPTON - HAMPTON -- Flawless it wasn't, but Hampton University got the better end of Saturday night's meeting of local basketball teams.
The Pirates used a strong second-half surge to build a lead that stood up to William and Mary's late rally for a 70-63 victory at the HU Convocation Center. Hampton ran its record to 6-6 going into a break until its Jan. 12 game with Bethune-Cookman, its second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the start to the full conference schedule.
Hampton was short starting post player Matt Pilgrim with a foot sprain, plus reserves Brandon Tunnell and Lionel Pehoua with injury and illness. Forward Mike Freeman fought through an arm bruise to make the lineup as a late addition to start for the Pirates, and he contributed 11 points and six rebounds.
"It was a pleasant surprise when Mike said he wanted to try it -- obviously he's very sore," Hampton coach Kevin Nickelberry said.
The Tribe, falling short of coach Tony Shaver's 400th career victory, takes a 3-7 mark into Colonial Athletic Association play. It had won the last three meetings with HU.
"3-1 in the CAA!" HU guard Rashad West told Nickelberry as he left the press room.
Hampton has beaten Delaware and VCU and lost to George Mason. The Pirates, the preseason pick to win the MEAC, ended a two-game losing streak.
With a lot of defensive pressure going both ways, William and Mary committed 20 turnovers and Hampton 19.
Hampton's 21-4 run midway through the second half was the difference. The Pirates ballooned a 33-29 lead to 54-33.
"During that stretch, as well as our down times, it's our turnovers that are killing us," Shaver said. "You come in and outrebound this team, you should win the ballgame. Turnovers were the difference for us and poor shooting."
What happened at halftime?
West, HU's high scorer with 29 points, said it was the usual halftime motivational speech and then some. "We talked about just getting the loose balls," West said.
Hampton point guard Jordan Brooks, a freshman, had a season high 12 points. Reserve Jonathan Ntoko and forward Theo Smalling played key minutes.
"We have a lot of injuries and Coach kept telling me he wanted me to be a little more aggressive," Brooks said. "I just wanted to take that and come out and try to make a lot more things happen."
The Tribe chipped away late to cut the lead to single digits, but Hampton had enough of a cushion to withstand it.
"I told the guys -- 40 minutes," Nickelberry said. "I thought over the long run, our pressure would start to affect them."
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