HAMPTON, Va. – Despite leading at the half, the Hampton University men's basketball team fell to Winthrop 86-79 on Saturday afternoon at the HU Convocation Center.
 
The Pirates fell to 2-8 on the season.
 
Akim Mitchell and Trevond Barnes led the Pirates, each pouring in a career-high 18 points; Barnes also grabbed a team-high six rebounds and has one block. Lawrence Cooks and Jermaine Marrow each added 16 points, and Marrow dished out a team-high five assists.
 
The Pirates shot 42.6 percent (23-for-54) from the floor and hit 11 of their 23 3-pointers (47.8 percent). Hampton was also 22-for-25 (88.0 percent) from the free throw line.
 
Winthrop held an early 5-4 lead, but the Pirates responded with a 14-3 run to take an 18-8 lead after a Barnes 3-pointer at the 13:50 mark. The Eagles then used a 14-5 run to cut the lead to 23-22 on an Adam Pickett layup with 10:09 left in the half.
 
But seven unanswered gave Hampton a 30-22 lead after two Marrow free throws.
 
Mitchell added two free throws of his own at the 7:14 mark to give the Pirates a 32-24 lead, before the Eagles responded with an 11-2 run to take a 35-34 lead on a Xavier Cooks layup. Mitchell gave Hampton the lead back with a layup at the 3:34 mark, and the Pirates led 40-39 at the half.
 
All four of Hampton's high scorers had eight points at the break.
 
Winthrop scored 13 of the second half's first 21 points, taking a 52-47 lead at the 14:59 mark on a Pickett 3-point play. Keon Johnson later gave the Eagles a 9-point lead, 69-60, with a jumper with 7:02 left to play. But Hampton went on a 12-5 run, cutting the lead to 74-72 with 2:55 remaining after a Mitchell three.
 
Winthrop pulled away again with an 8-2 run, going up 82-74 on a Johnson trey with 43 seconds left.
 
The Eagles (6-3) shot 50.9 percent (27-for-53) from the floor and went 10-for-24 (41.7 percent) from 3-point range. Winthrop held a 33-30 edge in rebounding.
 
Johnson led Winthrop with 24 points.
 
The Pirates will head to Boone, N.C. on Wednesday to take on Appalachian State at 7 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5757, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.