HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team got back into the win column Monday night, using a strong second half to pull away from Florida A&M and escape the HU Convocation Center with a 66-53 victory.

The Pirates (6-13, 3-4 MEAC) have won two of their last three games.

A pair of free throws from Brandon Bryant with 10:07 to play pulled the Rattlers within 44-40, but Hampton responded by going on a 19-6 run over the next eight minutes, culminating with a layup from Vincent Simpson (Philadelphia, Pa.) with 2:07 to play to put the Pirates up 63-46. During the Pirates' spurt, Florida A&M went almost four minutes without a field goal; after Rasheem Jenkins hit a jumper with 6:19 to play, Florida A&M didn't hit another basket until Larry Jackson hit a stick-back with 2:28 remaining.

Michael Freeman (Alexandria, Va.) led the Pirates with 17 points on 8-for-10 shooting, while also pulling down a team-high 10 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.) added 12 points on 5-for-9 shooting, as the Pirates shot a season-best 53.1 percent (26-for-49) from the floor.

Hampton also out-rebounded Florida A&M (4-15, 2-5 MEAC) 34-30.

The Rattlers shot 32.7 percent (18-for-55) from the floor, committing 15 turnovers. Jackson lead Florida A&M with 16 points on 6-for-13 shooting, while also pulling down a team-high 11 rebounds.

The Pirates opened the game on a 10-2 run that culminated in a Charles Funches (Bayonne, N.J.) jumper at the 17:10 mark, before the Rattlers responded with a 7-1 march of their own. The rest of the half was tight, with the scored tied at 19 after a Dale Hughes layup with 6:34 left in the half.

Freeman put the Pirates up by four, 23-19, at the 4:46 mark with an emphatic, behind-the-head, one-handed alley oop dunk, but the Rattlers tied the game at 25-25 with 1:14 left in the half on a layup from Jackson.

Freeman hit a stick-back floater with one second left to give the Pirates a 27-25 halftime lead.

Freeman led the Pirates with 11 points and five rebounds in the first half, going 5-for-6 from the floor. Three of his rebounds in the first half were on the offensive end. The Pirates shot 45.8 percent (11-for-24) from the floor in the first half, and Hampton's defense forced Florida A&M into eight turnovers.

Jackson led Florida A&M with eight first-half points. The Rattlers shot 36.0 percent (9-for-25) in the first half, and they out-rebounded Hampton 16-12.

The Pirates will return to action on Saturday, when they travel to Dover, Del. To take on Delaware State 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.