HAMPTON, Va. – Despite a hot start Thursday night at the HU Convocation Center, the Hampton University men's basketball team dropped its regular season finale to Norfolk State, as the rival Spartans won 80-69.
 
The Pirates (12-17, 8-8 MEAC) have lost back-to-back games.
 
Redshirt junior guard/forward Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) led the Pirates with 24 points and eight rebounds, going 10-for-16 from the floor, while junior guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) added 12 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists.
 
Powers became the 27th Pirate ever to reach the 1,000-point mark.
 
Junior guard Reginald Johnson (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in 11 points, hitting three 3-pointers.
 
The Pirates shot 41.1 percent (23-for-56) from the floor, but made just six of 25 3-pointers (24.0 percent) and 17 of 26 free throws (65.4 percent). Both Hampton and Norfolk State grabbed 37 rebounds.
 
Hampton got off to a hot start – as did Meikle specifically – and a trey from Meikle with 16:09 left in the first half gave the Pirates an 11-5 lead. In fact, Meikle scored Hampton's first 11 points; the Pirates' first field goal from someone other than Meikle came at the 15:00 mark, when Johnson hit a jumper to give Hampton a 15-10 lead.
 
Another trey from Meikle with 11:56 left in the half gave the Pirates a 23-12 lead.
 
Guard Quinton Chievous (Chicago, Ill.) sank a layup with 10:39 left in the half to give Hampton a 25-16 lead, but that would be the Pirates' last field goal of the half. The Spartans closed the half on a 20-4 run, taking a 36-29 lead into the half after a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Zaynah Robinson.
 
Rashid Gaston gave the Spartans a 40-29 lead with 19:01 left in the game with a dunk, and a trey from Jeff Short at the 17:55 mark gave Norfolk State a 43-33 lead. Gaston added a layup with 16:33 left to put Norfolk State up 47-35.
 
Hampton answered with a 16-6 run, cutting the lead to 53-51 with 11:42 left to play after Powers hit a jumper. But the Spartans answered with a 10-2 run of their own, taking a 63-53 lead with 8:47 remaining after a D'Shon Taylor jumper.
 
Senior Emmanuel Okoroba (Garland, Texas) hit two free throws with 1:21 left to cut Norfolk State's lead to 71-65, but the Spartans hit nine of 10 free throws down the stretch to clinch the win.
 
Norfolk State (19-12, 12-4 MEAC) shot 50.0 percent (29-for-58) – including a 59.3 percent clip (16-for-27) in the second half – from the floor and hit five of 14 3-pointers (35.7 percent).
 
Short led the Spartans with 26 points. Gaston had 22 points and 12 rebounds.
 
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.