The Pirates (13-17), the Number 5 seed, will take on Morgan State, the Number 1 seed at 6 p.m. on Friday.
The game was a battle from start to finish between two rivals separated by less than 30 miles. It featured spirited plays, bodies on the floor and a lot of banter from fans of both teams.
The Pirates were able to flex a bit when they ended the half with a run that gave them a 10-point bulge at 40-30. Simpson provided much of the firepower with 15 points while Pellum contributed 10.
In the second half, the Spartans (11-19), the Number 5 seed, found themselves trailing by 14 in the first four minutes of the second half, but a spirited 28-11 run led by Michael DeLoach, a first team All-MEAC selection, gave Norfolk State a 58-57 lead at the 8:10 mark.
From there, the two teams traded baskets and it went back and forth until Pellum sealed the deal with two free throws with 25 seconds left on the clock. Pellum was not finished. He was detailed to defend the mercurial DeLoach on the Spartans' last possession.
“A lot of people don't think that Pellum can play defense,” said Hampton coach
Ed Joyner. “He, along with
Mike Freeman, are our best two defenders. Because he is long, he was able to deny DeLoach the ball and it forced other people to take the three and that was what we wanted.”
DeLoach finished with 21 points, 16 coming in the second half, six assists and five steals. Hampton added 20 and Kyle O'Quinn 8 points and 9 rebounds.
In addition to Pellum's 19 and Simpson's 18,
Charles Funches came off the bench to score 11 and grab 9 rebounds.
The Pirates played Morgan State in Hampton, Virginia in January and lost to them, 73-63. Coach Joyner admits that the regular season champs pose a serious challenge.
“In order to win this tournament, you have to go through Morgan,” said Joyner. “It is going to be a challenge but we will come to play.”
