NCAA News Wire
Hampton 63, Howard 47
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Former Hampton University Pirates coach Kevin Nickelberry still hasn’t figured out a way to beat his former team.
Nickelberry, who coached Hampton from 2006-09, dropped to 0-7 against the Pirates following the Howard University Bison’s 63-47 setback Saturday at the HU Convocation Center in Hampton, Va.
Nickelberry, though, isn’t the only Howard head coach to have problems against the Pirates. Hampton is now 32-5 all-time against the Bison, including 14-1 at home since moving to Division I in 1995.
Senior forward Du’Vaughn Maxwell led Hampton with 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots. Sophomore guard Brian Darden added 14 points, while sophomore guard Ke’Ron Brown grabbed 11 rebounds.
Howard (6-18, 4-5) scored four of the first five points in the opening four minutes, but the Bison didn’t score again until the 9:20 mark of the opening half. By that time, Hampton (12-11, 7-3) scored 14 points and the Pirates were just getting started.
Hampton built the lead to 19 in the first half when Maxwell nailed a 3-pointer with 3:19 left in the first half, giving the Pirates a 27-8 advantage. Maxwell, at that point, had outscored the Bison, 10-8.
The Pirates’ biggest lead came five minutes into the second half, when they held a 42-17 advantage.
Howard whittled the deficit down to 11, but the Bison never posed a threat the entire second half.
Howard freshman guard James Daniel struggled from the field (3 of 11) but still led all scorers with 21 points. He was 13 of 15 from the free-throw line.
