PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – The Hampton University men's basketball team fell for just the second time in conference play on Saturday afternoon, as Maryland Eastern Shore won 73-70 in the W.P. Hytche Athletic Center.
 
The Pirates fell to 13-9 overall and 8-2 in MEAC play on the season.
 
Reginald Johnson, Jr. led three Pirates in double figures with 22 points on 5-for-16 shooting, hitting three 3-pointers and dishing out a team-high four assists. Quinton Chievous added 15 points and a team-high 12 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season.
 
Brian Darden added 11 points. Jervon Pressley blocked a team-high four shots.
 
The Pirates shot 39.3 percent (22-for-56) from the floor and hit six of their 30 3-pointers (20.0 percent). Hampton also struggled from the free throw line, going 20-for-30 (66.7 percent).
 
The Pirates led only once in the game – going up 53-52 after a throwdown from Chievous with 8:25 remaining in the second half. That bucket capped an 8-0 Hampton run, and even though UMES took the lead right back, a Kalin Fisher layup with 6:13 left tied the game at 55-55.
 
But the Hawks regained control, going up 61-57 after Dominique Elliott drained a pair of free throws with 4:21 remaining. Darden hit a free throw with 2:34 remaining to cut the lead to 63-60, before Devin Martin hit a three to start a 5-0 spurt that saw the Hawks go up 68-60.
 
Hampton fought back, going on an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 70-68 on a trey from Johnson with 37 seconds remaining.
 
Johnson later cut the lead to 73-70 with a pair of free throws with 13 seconds left.
 
UMES missed both free throws on the other end, giving the Pirates a shot at forcing overtime. But Johnson's three at the buzzer was blocked.
 
UMES jumped out to a 14-4 lead to open the game, before the Pirates scored 14 of the next 20 points to cut the lead to 20-18 at the 10:33 mark on a free throw from Pressley.
 
A layup from Bakari Copeland with 5:24 left in the half gave UMES a 29-23 lead, before the Pirates scored six in a row and tied the score at 29-29 on a pair of Darden free throws with 3:13 left in the half. But UMES closed the half on an 8-2 run to take a 37-31 lead at the break.
 
Johnson had 12 points at the half.
 
UMES (8-16, 5-4 MEAC) shot 37.5 percent (21-for-56) from the floor and made four of 16 3-pointers. The Hawks made 27 of 38 free throws (71.1 percent) and out-rebounded the Pirates 43-35.
 
Elliott led four Hawks in double figures with 23 points.
 
The Pirates will be in Washington, D.C. on Monday to take on rival Howard at 8 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.