DOVER, Del. – The Hampton University men's basketball played one of its best games of the season, but it was not enough as they fell to the Hornets of Delaware State Monday night at Memorial Hall.
 
The Hornets (9-11, 6-3 MEAC) used a late rally sparked by Casey Walker, who scored five points in the final minute and a half, which proved to be the different in the game.
 
The Pirates closed out the game with four players in double figures, led by senior guard Mike Tuitt (Bronx, N.Y.), who recorded his second double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 assists. Senior guard Christopher Tolson (Laurel, Md.) scored 14 points, while senior guard Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.) finished with 13 points for the Pirates.
 
Junior forward Wesley Dunning (Laurel, Md.) also finished in double figures with 10 points.
 
The game saw six ties and 10 lead changes throughout the game. Both teams shot over 50 percent from the floor.
 
The first half would go back-and-forth until the 11:42 mark, when Marques Oliver went to the free throw line and started a 13-0 run that put the Hornets up by 10 points, 23-13, at the 9:11 mark.
 
The Pirates (8-15, 4-6 MEAC) answered with a 6-0 run started when Tuitt connected on one of two free throws to make the score 23-14. Delaware State then went on a 6-0 run to go back up by 10, 29-19. Delaware State later increased that lead to as many as 11 points following a dunk by Tahj Tate, which was the Hornets' largest lead of the game.
 
Hampton ended the half on a 5-2 run to head into the half down 39-31.
 
The Pirates shot a mere 37 percent from the floor, making just 10 of 27 shots, while the Hornets shot lights out. The Hornets shot an impressive 65 percent (17-for-26) from the floor in the first half.
 
The Pirates opened the second half on a 9-0 run started by an and-one by senior forward Danny Agbelese (Lanham, Md,) to take the lead at 39-38 at the 18:24 mark in the second half. Delaware State took back the lead on the next play when Oliver made a layup in the lane.
 
Tolson tied the game back up on a free throw at the 17:01 mark. The Pirates would get one more lead, when freshman forward Emmanuel Okoroba (Garland, Texas) made a free throw to give Hampton a 46-43 lead with 14:54 left to play.
 
Delaware State went on to lead by as many as 10 at one point in the game. Hampton would get as close as two points with 2:36 left to play with the score 65-63.
 
The Hornets went on a 7-0 run to get a nine-point lead before sophomore center David Bruce (Linden, N.J.) made a layup with 1:17 left in the game to pull within seven points. Bruce connected on another layup to pull Hampton to back within six points, but that would be the closest the Pirates would get.
 
Led by Tuitt, the Pirates shot an impressive 50 percent (26-for-52) from the floor, which included connecting on 16 of 25 shots (64 percent) in the second half, while also scored 36 points in the paint.
 
Walker and Tate led the Hornets with 16 points each, while Oliver added 15 points. Jay Threatt and Bell also finished with 12 points each for the Hornets.
 
The Pirates will be back in action on Saturday, when they travel to Norfolk State to face the Spartans in part two of the Battle of the Bay at 6 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.