Vincent Simpson scored all 18 of his points in the second half as the Pirates overcame a 12-point halftime deficit and surged past Norfolk State, 87-72 on Saturday evening at the HU Convocation Center.

Hampton (16-11, 9-5 MEAC) bounced back from a sluggish first half by shooting 61 percent in the second half. The Spartans (14-13, 10-4 MEAC) were outscored 57-30 after halftime en route to their third straight loss.

Hampton led 11-4 after a 3-pointer by Kevin Sumner five minutes into the game. But NSU went on a 17-4 run over the next six and a half minutes to take a six-point lead. Reserve center Joseph Dorsett-Jeffreys scored all of his career-high 17 points in the opening half, making 5-of-6 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Tony Murphy would hit two free throws just before halftime to give the Spartans their largest lead of the half, 42-30, heading into the intermission.

Hampton shot just 32 percent in the first half, but came out hot in the second. The Pirates used an 11-0 run, which included five points by Adrian Woodard and a technical foul on NSU forward Brandon Monroe (Raeford, N.C.), to tie the game at 46-all.

Still, the Spartans settled down and appeared to be back in control after a 3-pointer by Murphy gave them a 55-48 lead with 12:26 remaining. But NSU made just one basket in the next five minutes, while Hampton went 6-of-8 from the floor in the same stretch to take command. Simpson hit three straight 3-pointers for the Pirates to turn a one-point game into a 10-point Hampton cushion.

After going 0-of-4 from the floor in the first half, Simpson went 7-of-10 in the second stanza. Rashad West led Hampton with 21 points and nine assists, while Woodard and Donte Harrison added 14 points apiece.

Dorsett-Jeffreys led the Spartans in scoring despite tallying all his points in the first half. Murphy added 16 points, Corey Lyons 14 and Michael Deloach a career-high nine assists for NSU, which had 13 turnovers in the second half and 21 for the game.