Senior guard Rashad West recorded his first double-double of the season with 20 points and 11 rebounds as he led the Hampton Pirates to a 55-48 non-conference victory over the Bonnies of St. Bonaventure.
With the victory, the Pirates improved to 5-4 on the season, while the Bonnies fell to 5-6.
Coming into the game, the Pirates were ranked 17th in the NCAA in scoring defense, allowing just under 56 points a game. Against the Bonnies, Hampton continued the trend allowing 48 points to a team that averages over 66 points per game.
Both teams suffered from the field as the Bonnies posted 28-percent (19-66) shooting while the Pirates connected on 22-of-56 baskets for just 39-percent from the floor.
The Pirates’ bright spot came on the boards as they snatched down 49 rebounds with Theo Smalling, Adrian Woodard and Matthew Pilgrim grabbing eight apiece. Hampton also benefited from unforced turnovers which resulted in 11 points and commanding advantage in the paint (32 points).
“I think that we did a great job defensively, holding St. Bonaventure to only 48 points on the night,” said Pirate second year head coach Kevin Nickelberry. “We also did an outstanding job of holding their top scorers in Michael Lee and Zarryon Fereti.”
““Our guys are starting to get excited after games when we look at the stat sheet and see that we stopped the opponent’s top players. This is a huge part of our defensive philosophy and we have done a good job of executing it all season,” stated Nickleberry.
Besides West, Donte Harrison led the Pirates offensively with 13 points. Pilgrim, Smalling, and Woodard combined for 13 points to go along with their boards.
Leading the way for the Bonnies was Hillary Haley and Tyler Relph, who scored 13 points each. Micahel Tyree collected nine rebounds and Zarryon Fereti, who suffered from behind the arc (0-11), chipped in with eight.
The Pirates are back in action on Wednesday, December 19, as they travel to Charlottesville, Va. to face the Cavaliers of the University of Virginia. Game tips off at 7 p.m.