Johnson’s Career Nigh Sparks Comeback, Double OT Win

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – At one point Wednesday night, the Hampton University men’s basketball team found itself down 22 to Northern Arizona at the Walkup Skydome, but a career night from Reginald Johnson, Jr., four Pirates in double figures, and two overtimes later, the Pirates won 98-94.

The win snapped a two-game skid and improved Hampton to 3-3 on the season.

Johnson dropped a career-high 35 points on 12-for-27 shooting, hitting five of his 10 3-pointers and making six of his nine free throws.

Brian Darden added a season-high 22 points in the victory, going 7-for-13 from the floor and hitting four 3-pointers, while Dionte Adams and Charles Wilson-Fisher each added 10 points.

Jervon Pressley grabbed a team- and career-high 13 rebounds and was one point shy of his second double-double of the season.

While Hampton never led in regulation, and the Lumberjacks led 80-77 with 1:09 left in the second half, the Pirates forced overtime after Darden drained a 3-pointer with 57 seconds left on the clock to knot the score at 80-80.

Johnson opened the first overtime by giving Hampton its first lead of the night, hitting a jumper at the 4:43 mark to put the Pirates up 82-80.

But a 5-0 spurt gave Northern Arizona an 89-86 lead with 1:46 left, and Ako Kaluna hit a trey with 1:04 left that gave the Lumberjacks a 92-87 lead.

Darden hit a jumper, and Johnson followed with a three, to force the second overtime.

Adams put Hampton up 94-92 with 3:49 left in the second overtime with a pair of free throws, in a frame where points were at a premium.

The Pirates will be in Baltimore, Md. on Saturday for their MEAC opener at Coppin State.

For complete story, visit www.hamptonpirates.com

 

 

Spartans Get Past Pesky Mercy College in 71-65 Win

NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State men’s basketball team eased past a hard-nosed Mercy College squad on Wednesday night, pulling out a 71-65 non-conference victory at Joseph Echols Hall.

The Spartans got a big game out of senior Jeff Short, who finished with 28 points on 10-of-12 shooting to go with a game-high seven rebounds.

NSU did not get its first bucket until the 14:46 mark of the first stanza on a layup by Short. Mercy College began a 12-2 run a minute later to jump ahead 19-8. The Spartans then scored the next 10 points, capped off by a fastbreak bunny from junior Brian Kelley.

Junior Jonathan Wade sank two more from the line to put NSU into the lead, although Mercy College was able to tie it up three more times before the end of the half. Gerald McClease hit a layup with one second left on the clock to tie the score at 31-31 going into the break.

Mercy College got to within three at 59-56 on another McClease layup, this time with 4:24 to go, but the Spartans outscored the Mavericks 10-4 to go up by as much as nine the rest of the game.

NSU will play its first MEAC game on Monday night at Coppin State at 7:30 p.m.

For complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com