The Hampton Pirates and Howard Bison put on a performance for the ages in the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic with Hampton coming out on top, 63-61. The two teams took the court following Grambling State's victory over Jackson State. As always, when Hampton and Howard meet, they battle for the title of “The Real HU.” The Bison claimed that title in the first game of the year, but the Pirates showed up the second time around.

Despite Hampton's performance in this game, they have not been good since this season. The Pirates were on a 13-game skid dating back to a December loss to #20 James Madison. Most recently, they lost to their CAA HBCU rival North Carolina A&T, 59-58.

While Howard hasn't been great this season, they have certainly been better than Hampton. The Bison traveled to New Jersey for the Legacy Classic with a 9-13 overall record and sat in the middle of the MEAC with a 3-3 conference record. Though they've struggled to maintain a rhythm, they were coming off an 81-66 victory over Coppin State. Howard entered the game as the favorites, but anything can happen in the battle for “The Real HU.”

Hampton's Joshua Lusane broke the ice with a layup to start the game. The Pirates' 2-0 lead was their only one of the half. In fact, they wouldn't jump out in front again until 24 seconds remained in the second half. Put simply, Howard dominated for the majority of the game. The Bison defense was especially stingy, giving up just seven points in the first 10 minutes of the game. They jumped out to a 15-7 lead, but the Pirates responded with a 7-0 run of their own, forcing a timeout. Despite coming within a point of the lead, Hampton could not stop Howard's offense. The Bison embarked on a 9-0 run stretching their lead to double figures.

Dom Campbell was instrumental in crafting Howard's early lead. He had 14 first half points and nine rebounds. Those final two points came from a dunk that put his team up 30-18, their largest lead of the half. Hampton's Jerry Deng, the eventual player of the game, helped bring the Pirates back into the fold. In Kyrese Mullen's absence, who left the game with an injury, Deng scored 10 first half points. At the break, Howard led 34-27.

Much of the second half reflected the first. Howard's lead never grew out of hand, but Hampton struggled to score consistently, a problem that has plagued them all year. Typically, the Pirates break down in the second half of games, and they almost did it against Howard. The Bison were able to keep Hampton at an arm's reach away for the first 12 minutes of the half. The Pirates finally cut into the lead with a jumper from Tedrick Wilcox and a free throw from Jordan Nesbitt. The Bison, however, kept building on their lead, extending it to 11 points at the five-minute mark.

In the final five minutes of the game, Hampton's defense reached another level. They were able to defend aggressively and force turnovers without fouling. The defense also got a boost from Ja'Von Benson, who swatted away anything that got remotely close to the rim. The Pirates slowly inched their way back into the game as Nesbitt scored six unanswered points to put his team down 56-51. A jump shot from Tedrick Wilcox shortened Howard's lead even further as they fumbled around on the offensive end.

Following another Bison miss, Benson rolled to the basket and got fouled on a shot attempt. He split the free throws, meaning Hampton trailed by only two points. The Pirates bailed Howard out with a foul, giving Isiah Warfield a free pair of free throws. Though he made both, Jerry Deng came to the rescue with a huge three-pointer from the corner, putting Hampton down a single point. An airball three-pointer from Howard gave the Pirates their first opportunity to take the lead since the very start of the game. As the seconds drained off the clock, Nesbitt found Deng again in the same spot, and he drilled another three-pointer. Hampton now led 60-58. Howard's Seth Towns got the ball in the corner on their next offensive possession, faked out Nesbitt and drove to the rim. He put up a shot, but Benson erased it and grabbed the rebound.

Howard had to foul, so they sent Nesbitt to the stripe, but he split the free throws. In one last attempt, Howard's Campbell had an open look from deep, but he missed it. Nesbitt went back to the line and sunk both free throws, giving Hampton their first win in almost two months.

The Howard Bison's Dom Campbell got off to a strong start, but he petered out in the second half. He finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Bryce Harris also had a double-double of 16 points, 14 rebounds (eight offensive), and three steals. Marcus Dockery hit three three-pointers to end with 11 points, six rebounds, and two steals.

The Hampton Pirates barely got anything from their starting five, who all combined for just 12 points. Jerry Deng and Jordan Nesbitt combined for 38 of Hampton's 63 points. Deng had 21 points and three rebounds, and also hit two of his four three-pointers in the last minute of the game. Nesbitt finished with 17 points, five rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Ja'Von Benson nearly had a triple-double with five points, seven blocks, and eight rebounds.

After a rather shocking upset, the Bison will look to pick themselves up at Delaware State on Feb. 5. Hampton gets a bit of a break and returns home on Feb. 8 to take on Hofstra.