HAMPTON, Va. (NSUSpartans.com) – Hampton’s Russell Dean hit an off-balanced, one-handed 30-footer as time expired to lift the Pirates to a 58-57 win over Norfolk State on Saturday night at the HU Convocation Center.
After NSU’s Cahiem Brown hit 1-of-2 from the foul line to put the Spartans up 57-55 with six seconds left, Najee Garvin rebounded and the Pirates pushed the ball up court. The ball made its way into the hands of Dean, who stepped through two Spartan defenders and fell to his right as he released the ball just before the final horn. The circus shot found the bottom of the net to give the Pirates a win in the latest memorable chapter of the Battle of the Bay.
NSU (9-2) trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half but methodically rallied. After Rio Haskett’s layup gave HU a 47-37 lead with 11:15 remaining, NSU went on a 10-2 run. Tyrese Jenkins and Jalen Hawkins each had four points and two free throws in the run.
Later, a 6-0 NSU spurt, capped by a Joe Bryant Jr. layup, tied the score at 53-all with 3:29 to play. Less than a minute later, Bryant split two free throws to give NSU its first lead of the half, at 54-53.
Garvin answered with a layup to give the Pirates a lead, but Kris Bankston powered over the HU defense to help NSU reclaim the edge at 56-55 with 1:45 left.
NSU held the Pirates scoreless on their next two possessions, with Brown corralling a rebound and hitting one free throw with six seconds remaining after the second stop. But the Pirates had the last shot and made it count, avenging last weekend’s 70-61 loss to NSU at the HBCU Challenge in Phoenix and snapping NSU’s four-game winning streak.
Haskett and Dean hit 3-pointers early to help Hampton out to an 8-4 lead. The Spartans answered with an 8-0 spurt, capped by a 3-pointer and two free throws by Hawkins that gave NSU a 12-8 edge.
HU found its touch later in the half, shooting 52 percent to offset eight turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. The Spartans hit just 32 percent from the floor and trailed 33-25 at the half.
HU maintained an edge till midway through the second half when NSU started using its aggressiveness to get to the foul line. NSU attempted 16 free throws in the second half, making 11. For the game, NSU attempted 15 more free throws than Hampton and made 11 more (16-of-25 for NSU, 5-of-10 for HU).
For the game, NSU outrebounded the Pirates 38-32 and committed just seven turnovers, but hit just 34.5 percent from the floor.
Bryant scored 15, Hawkins 14 and Bankston 11 for the Spartans. Bankston had a team-high eight rebounds and Dana Tate Jr. added six.
Garvin had 17 points and nine rebounds to pace Hampton, and Godwin added 12 points.
The Spartans have the week off for exams before facing Wichita State next Saturday, Dec. 11.
