The Hampton Pirates defeated rival Howard 71-58 Thursday night at the HU Convocation Center. The win gave the Pirates their third victory in a row and, combined with a Norfolk State loss, clinched the No.2 seed in the conference tournament.

The 2008 basketball tournament, scheduled for March 10-15, tips off at the RBC Center in Raleigh, N.C.

Hampton’s second win over Howard this season increased the Pirates’ record to 18-11 overall and 11-15 in the MEAC. The Howard Bison concluded the regular-season at 6-25 overall and 3-13 in the conference.

Kevin Nickelberry, Hampton’s second-year head coach, said the Pirates’ three-game win streak bodes well for the Pirates entering post-season play.

“Winning 18 games during the regular-season and finishing in second place in the conference are things the guys should be proud of,” said Nickelberry. “We’ve gone through a lot of ups and downs and we’ve had adversity, but the guys have responded well and at the right time.”

The Pirates scored the game’s first 16 points and held the Bison scoreless until Adam Walker scored a layup at the 12:48 mark, making the score 16-2 in Hampton’s favor. From there, the Pirates built up a game-high 19-point lead but settled for a four-point advantage at the half, 36-32.

In the second half, the Pirates flexed their muscles again, building up an 18-point lead with 8:53 left in the game after Rashad West connected on a 3-pointer that gave the Pirates a 64-46 lead. The closest Howard could come after that was 10 points on a couple of occasions.

Nickelberry honored West and fellow seniors Adrian Woodard, Kevin Sumner and Jonathan Robinson for their contributions to the HU program over the years.

“They’ve been a big part of the stability and continuity of our program,” said Nickelberry. “They’ve accomplished a lot and still have a lot yet to accomplish.”

For the game, West led the Pirates with 17 points while Donte’ Harrison added 12 points. Woodard grabbed 13 rebounds.

Howard was led by Randy Hampton, who scored a game-high 22 points, and Paul Kirkpatrick with 19.

Now that the regular-season is over, Nickelberry said he looks forward to what should be an exciting MEAC tournament.

“It’ll be a wide-open tournament with some great coaches and great players,” said Nickelberry. “That’s what makes it so exciting in March. To have a shot, you’ll have to be playing your best basketball.”