Box Score

NEW YORK, N.Y. – The Hampton University men's basketball team won the 2010 Big Apple Classic on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, beating Howard 67-55 behind the strength of four Pirates in double figures.

Howard took a 38-36 lead with 15:54 left to play in the second half on a 3-pointer from Dadrian Collins to cap an 11-2 run, but junior guard Mike Tuitt (Bronx, N.Y.) gave the lead back to the Pirates with a 3-pointer with 14:59 to play.

Howard would tie the game at 41-41 on another Collins trey, but the Pirates went on a 9-3 run to take a 50-44 lead with 9:42 to play on a dunk from junior guard Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.) Junior guard Kwame Morgan II (Largo, Md.) flushed a dunk with 1:05 to play to put the Pirates up by 11, 65-54, and ensure the team's seventh straight win.

Senior forward Charles Funches (Jersey City, N.J.) led the Pirates with a career-high 20 points, while Tuitt tied a career high with 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting. Pellum and Morgan each added 14 points. Junior forward Danny Agbelese (Lanham, Md.) pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds and blocked four shots.

The Pirates shot 36.8 percent (21-for-57) from the floor and made six of their 18 3-pointers. Hampton (7-1, 1-0 MEAC) forced 12 Howard turnovers, scoring 14 points from them.

Howard (1-7, 0-1 MEAC), directed by former Pirates coach Kevin Nickelberry, shot 30.2 percent (19-for-63) from the floor and just 63.2 percent (12-for-19) from the free throw line. Howard did out-rebound Hampton 42-41.

Mike Phillips led Howard with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Anton Dickerson added 19 points.

A 3-pointer from Clinton Cuffee tied the game at 21-21 with 7:13 left in the first half, but the Pirates took a 34-27 lead into the half, closing the opening frame with a 13-6 run, punctuated by a pair of free throws from Pellum. Pellum, Funches and Morgan all had a team-high 10 first-half points as the Pirates shot 33.3 percent (10-30) from the floor in the first 20 minutes.

Howard committed seven first-half turnovers (compared to just two from Hampton), despite shooting 35.7 percent (10-for-28) from the floor. Dickerson led the Bison with 14 first-half points.

The Pirates will look for their eighth straight win on Wednesday, when they return to the HU Convocation Center to take on the Blue Hens of the University of Delaware at 7 p.m. in the first of three straight home games.

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.