Saturday, February 2
Norfolk, Va.
6:00 p.m.
Hampton University
62
at
58
Norfolk State
Freshman Brandon Tunnell made four clutch free-throws in final seconds to give the Pirates another MEAC victory. (Photo by Mark Sutton)
CLUTCH FREE-THROWS BY TUNNELL LIFTS HU PIRATES PAST NORFOLK STATE, 62-58
2.3.08 | Men's Basketball
NORFOLK, Va. – Freshman guard Brandon Tunnell hit four clutch free throws in the final 30 seconds of play to give the Hampton University Pirates a 62-58 victory over Norfolk State University in the Battle of the Bay basketball game here Saturday night.
The win was Hampton’s first win over NSU since 2002, when the Pirates won 92-89 in overtime. With the victory, Hampton improved to 6-1 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and 12-7 overall while the Spartans fell to 9-10 overall and 5-2 in league play.
“Brandon came up big for us in the end,” said HU head coach Kevin Nickelberry. “Despite being a true freshman, he came ready to play tonight and I was pleased with his overall performance. It’s hard to come to Norfolk State and play in this environment.”
The Pirates’ win over NSU kept the team just a half game behind Morgan State University, which holds a 7-1 first place conference record.
The first half of play saw six ties and seven lead changes between the two teams before they would go into the break knotted up at 30 points apiece. Hampton shot an impressive 43 percent (10-of-23) from the floor in the first half but they managed to hit only 42 percent of their shots from the free throw line, connecting on just 7-of-17 shots.. Norfolk State shot 37 percent (13-of-35) from the floor and a poor 10 percent (1-of-10) for the three-point arc in the opening half of play.
Senior guard Rashad West led the Pirates with 18 points on the night.
Hampton shot 36 percent (18-of-49) on the night and snatched 43 rebounds. The Pirates also committed 22 turnovers on the night.
Norfolk State shot 32 percent (22-of-68) on the night and just 20 percent (5-of-25) from beyond the three-point arc.
“I thought the team did a great job of staying with the game plan tonight,” said Nickelberry. “We did a great job defending the ball as always.
“Coming into the game, Norfolk State was averaging over 80 points in their last three games, but tonight we were able to hold them under 60,” added Nickelberry. “This is what we try to do.”
The Pirates will continue their road to Raleigh as they face the Aggies of North Carolina A&T State University on Monday, February 4. The 9 p.m. game that will be televised live on ESPNU.
“The Norfolk State game was a tough win for us, but now we have to get ready for North Carolina A&T. They’re a great basketball team and it’s a tough environment to play in down there,” said Nickelberry. “The crowd is tough and hard on everyone and it is live on ESPNU, so it should be interesting.”
For more information on go to www.hamptonpirates.com or contact the HU Office of Sports Information at 757-727-5811.
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