Box Score

HAMPTON, Va. – Hampton University junior guard Kwame Morgan scored a career-high 36 points on Monday night against North Carolina A&T, and the Pirates needed every last one of them in a thrilling, 82-77 win at the HU Convocation Center.

Morgan (Largo, Md.) shot 11-for-22 from the floor, hitting six of his 12 3-pointers and made all eight of his free throws – while also dishing out a career-high five assists and grabbing a career-high four steals.

Junior guard Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.) added 19 points, while senior forward Charles Funches (Jersey City, N.J.) added 12 points. Junior forward Danny Agbelese (Lanham, Md.) pulled down a career-high 12 rebounds and blocked a team-high three shots in 14 minutes.

After North Carolina A&T pulled to within two, 57-55, with 9:25 remaining, the Pirates (14-4, 4-1 MEAC) went on a 15-6 run, taking a 72-61 lead with 4:29 to play after Morgan hit a pair of free throws following an intentional foul.

Nic Simpson cut the lead to three, 76-73, with a 3-pointer with 56 second left, but Morgan answered with a jumper 30 seconds later to make it a two-possession game. From there, the Pirates made all four of their free throws to ice the game.

The Pirates shot 45.0 percent (27-for-60) from the floor, making 10 of their 28 3-pointers. Hampton also went 18-for-25 (72.0 percent) from the free throw line, while also forcing 16 Aggie turnovers.

Hampton also held a 36-30 rebounding edge.

The Aggies shot 52.9 percent (27-for-51) from the floor, but they only shot 55.6 percent (15-for-27) from the free throw line.

Marc Hill and Thomas Coleman led the Aggies (8-10, 3-2 MEAC) with 16 points each, while Simpson added 13 points and R.J. Buck scored 10.

Hampton took a 43-41 lead into the break after an offensively-charged first half; the Pirates shot 51.7 percent (15-for-29) in the first 20 minutes, while the Aggies shot 62.5 percent (15-for-24) in the first half.

After Hill tied the game at 26-26 with a layup at the 6:51 mark of the first half, the Pirates went on a 9-2 run to take a 35-28 lead at the 4:10 mark on a Morgan 3-pointer.

Pellum led the Pirates with 15 points at the half, while Morgan had 13 first-half points. Hill led North Carolina A&T with 11 points at the half.

The Pirates will return to action on Saturday, when they travel to Daytona Beach, Fla. to take on Bethune-Cookman at 4 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.