HAMPTON, Va. ? The Hampton Pirates jumped back into the victory column at the Convocation Center Saturday evening, earning a 74-60 victory over the visiting Bulldogs of South Carolina State University.
Hampton, 8-8 overall and 3-1 in the MEAC, led from tipoff to the final buzzer, including a comfortable 45-24 margin at the half. The win saw the Pirates rebound from a heartbreaking 76-75 nationally-televised defeat at Florida A&M last Monday night.
In the opening stanza, the Pirates jumped out to a 5-0 lead and never looked back. Behind guard Vinnie Simpson’s 17-point first half performance, Hampton connected on 58.3 percent of their shots, their best single-half performance of the season, while limiting the Bulldogs to a 5-for-22 shooting performance at the intermission.
Head coach Kevin Nickelberry said his team’s improved shooting was the result of hard work.
“We spent a lot of time the past two weeks working on getting the shots we needed to,” said Nickelberry. “Simpson stepped up the last three or four games and made some shots. We just happened to have defense come to the party as well as the offense tonight. It’s good when both of those happen on the same night.”
The Bulldogs, who dropped to 6-9 overall and 1-2 in MEAC play, attempted several times in the second half to mount a rally, but each time the Pirates found ways to connect on big shots.
S.C. State cut the Pirates’ lead to 14 points at 49-35 with 17:32 to play. Simpson (Philadelphia, Pa.) answered with a 3-pointer to put Hampton back up by 17. The Bulldogs narrowed Hampton’s lead to 12 points at 52-40 with 14:58 remaining.
For the game, Simpson hit a career-high 34 points, 17 in each half of play. He connected on nine of 13 shots from the arc and 11-of-19 overall.
“I think Vinny’s commitment has been the difference in his shooting the past few games,” said Nickelberry. “He had an adjustment period from last year. The shots he gets are different. I told him to forget about when he misses a shot and to just concentrate on the next shot.”
Joining Simpson in double-figures were Chris Tolson with 15 and Brandon Tunnel (Wilmington, Del.) with 10.
The Bulldogs were led by Jason Johnson, Jason Flagler and John Jackson, who each tossed in 11 points.
Nickelberry said his team’s 3-1 start in the MEAC puts his team in the thick of the early race for supremacy in the conference.
“Our goal is to stay in the hunt,” said Nickelberry. “This isn’t your mom-and-pops MEAC. It’s anyone’s battle. There’s more depth in the league. We’ve got to find a way to stay in the hunt, especially with the big games coming up next week.”
The Pirates will play Winston-Salem State University in the 2009 Freedom Classic Festival in Richmond, Va. on Sunday. Tipoff at the Richmond Coliseum is at 5:30 p.m.