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The Hampton Pirates men's basketball team falls further away from .500 after a disappointing 75-65 loss to the Bowling Green Falcons. The Pirates are now tied with Northeastern for the second-worst record in the CAA before conference play begins in 2024.
Much like their last game against the #20 James Madison Dukes, Hampton started out on a strong note. The defense suffocated the Falcons' offensive assault, holding them to just 21 first half points.
As the two teams battled in the first half, center Jason Spurgin hit a three pointer to give Bowling Green a 16-15 lead. Spurgin made the shot with 8:52 remaining on the clock. The Pirate defense proceeded to hold the Falcons scoreless until the clock read 1:46 after center Joshua Lusane fouled his counterpart Rashaun Agee. Agee's free throws were the first points for Bowling Green in over seven minutes, but their first field goal didn't come until Trey Thomas made a three pointer with 26 seconds left.
Furthermore, the Pirate defense turned the Falcons over 11 total times just in the first half. They recorded seven steals, and center Ja'Von Benson registered all three of Hampton's blocks.
In the meantime, Hampton's offense went to work. They sparked a 12-0 run following Spurgin's three pointer, and outscored the Falcons 16-5 for the remainder of the half. Kyrese Mullen was especially dominant during that stretch, posting nine of the Pirates 16 points, including a buzzer-beating layup going into half time.
However, as previously mentioned, the script flipped in the second half, just like it did in their last game. Hampton maintained a healthy double-digit cushion at the beginning of the half and even extended it to a 14-point lead a couple times. As the Pirates led 40-26, Bowling Green proceeded to outscore them 18-8 in just five minutes, massively reducing the deficit. Thomas was a huge factor in the run, hitting two of his six total three pointers during that stretch.
Hampton managed to rebuild a nine-point lead, but another barrage of Thomas three pointers brought the Falcons within striking distance once again. Following a media timeout, a pair of free throws from Bowling Green's Marcus Hill put the Falcons in the lead for the first time since the 6:18 minute mark of the first half.
While both teams traded the lead a couple times, the momentum was clearly in Bowling Green's favor. The Pirates struggled to find any offense while the Falcons got anything they wanted on the other end. Bowling Green eventually kicked off a 9-0 run to take a 67-59 lead with 3:13 to play. Though time remained, the Pirates struggled to hit anything from deep, relying solely on put back layups and free throws. They had to foul the Falcons and hope for missed free throws, but Bowling Green remained solid from the line.
Trey Thomas' ridiculous performance from the perimeter buoyed the Bowling Green Falcons to the victory. He made six of his 11 three point attempts en route to 25 points and four rebounds. Big man Rashaud Agee had a double-double of 21 points and 12 rebounds, while their usual leading scorer Marcus Hill had 14 points and five rebounds. Jason Spurgin was the only other Falcon with double-digit scoring. He posted 10 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two blocks.
On the other side, Kyrese Mullen did all he could for the Hampton Pirates. Although he made just one of his seven three pointers, he finished with 19 points and six rebounds. Ja'Von Benson chipped in with 12 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks. Tristan Maxwell had a rough game offensively as he scored just nine points on 4-13 shooting, but he also had three rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Jordan Nesbitt continued to struggle as he shot 3-9 from the field for just six points.
This matchup against Bowling Green kicks off a four game road trip for the Pirates. They play again on Dec. 21 as they travel further north to play Eastern Michigan.
