HAMPTON, Va. (Feb. 7, 2026) … In a battle of the Coastal Athletic Association's top offense against Hampton's stingy, unrelenting defense, it was the Pirate offense in the closing minutes that made the difference as Hampton (12-13, 6-6) upended William & Mary (15-9, 6-6) 77-74 at the Hampton Convocation Center.

"This was a game where our homecourt advantage made the difference," Coach Ivan Thomas said. "You could feel the intensity and energy down the stretch. It gave us that little extra lift we needed to pull it out."

Trailing 72-71 with 1:31 left, the Pirates outscored the Tribe 6-2 for the win. Etienne Strothers put the Pirates ahead for good with a three-pointer and Elijah Kennedy's jam with :53 on a fast break after a Tribe turnover gave the Pirates a 76-72 lead with under a minute left. Following a William & Mary bucket, Daniel Johnson's free throw with :03 iced the win.

The win was Hampton's 13th win in the last 14 games at the Convocation Center dating back to last season. It also snapped a nine-game losing streak against the Tribe. Hampton was 0-12 when tied or trailing at the half. William & Mary held a 39-35 advantage at intermission.

Hampton got off to a quick start in the game and led 19-12 following a trey by Aidan Haskins midway through the first half. With the Pirates leading 31-26, William & Mary reeled off six consecutive points to tie the score. The Tribe scored 13 of the final 17 points in the first half to lead 39-35.

The William & Mary lead grew to as many as eight, 49-41, in the second half following a Jo'el Emanuel basket. Trailing 58-41 midway through the second half, Hampton scored nine straight points capped by a pair of free throws by Kennedy to lead 60-58. The Tribe battled back to take a four-point lead 66-62 with 5:04 left. The visitors still led, 72-71, with 1:31 setting up the late-game heroics by the Pirates.

William & Mary entered the game averaging 84 points per game and finished 10 points below their average against the stingy Pirate defense. The Tribe made just 1-of-15 three-point attempts.

Strothers set a career-high two days earlier with 18 points against Elon and matched it against the Tribe. Xavier Long posted a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. Long, the CAA's leading rebounder, ranks 13th in the nation in the category. Josh Ogundele also scored in double figures for the Pirates with 10 points.

A total of 47 personal fouls and one technical were whistled in the 40-minute game. It was a virtual wash at the Pirates were 22-of-31 from the line and the Tribe converted 23-of-32 free throws.

Hampton 's leading scorer, Michael Eley (12.7 ppg), missed the game due to a foot injury.

The Pirates are back in action on Feb. 13 when the Pirates entertain longtime rival North Carolina A&T in Los Angeles as part of the NBA All-Star game extravaganza.