Small lineup comes up big for Pirates
Warren, Shelton heat up from outside as HU overcomes injury
HAMPTON — One step inside and Davion Warren leaped to slam a one-handed dunk.
Gardner-Webb had trimmed Hampton’s lead to two points early in the second half before Warren seized control of the game by scoring a career-high 31 points.
The Pirates (4-4 overall, 3-0 Big South) extended a narrow 37-35 advantage to 49-35 and rolled from there in a 80-69 win against the Bulldogs on Wednesday at the Convocation Center.
“I like this team,” Hampton coach Buck Joyner said, “and I’ve said that from day one, we just needed time to figure things out and hopefully they’re starting to figure things out.”
Chris Shelton added a careerhigh 22 points, igniting the
Hampton offense early with hot 3-point shooting that continued throughout the first game of a back-to-back against Gardner-Webb. Deuce Dean added a career-high 14 assists.
“Chris is a marksman,” Joyner said. “When he gets a look, he’s money.”
Playing without i nj ured forward Edward Oliver-Hampton, the Pirates deployed a smaller lineup reliant on outside shooting. Despite entering the game last in the conference in field-goal percentage, the strategy worked as Gardner-Webb’s defense appeared content to allow outside shots.
But in contrast to what happened in the first seven games, Hampton’s shots found the bottom of the net often to extend the team’s winning streak to three.
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Key to success
Wednesday’s victory was the first time this season Hampton won despite being outrebounded (45-43). So what sparked the double-digit victory? Shooting.
The Pirates were shooting under 40 percent for the season before the 45.2-percent performance Wednesday that included a 10-for-22 clip from 3-point land.
Without Oliver-Hampton, who could miss two to three weeks with a bruised knee, according to Joyner, and 7-foot center Dajour Dickens in foul trouble, Hampton used smaller guard-heavy lineups.
“It allowed the court to spread out,” Joyner said.
“Especially in the second half, it opened the court up when Saheem (Anthony) made a 3 or two and Davion was able to get a dunk or two and Deuce was able to get in there and find shooters.”
Anthony and junior Najee Thomas should see more court time with Oliver-Hampton out, but Joyner is certain he will find a way to endure.
“We’re gonna do whatever we gotta do. I’ll play center,” Joyner joked.
Star power
Warren continued his dominant start to the season with another career high. Stepping into a primary scoring role this season for the first time, the senior from Buffalo, N.Y., has matched or increased his careerhigh in points four times, including Wednesday.
“You gotta have somebody that’s your calming factor. Davion is becoming that calming factor,” Joyner said.
“... At the end of the day, we can put the ball in Davion’s hands and everything kind of calms down when we hit a rough point and we’re gonna hit them every game.”
For Warren, previous success drives him for more and being a father of a three-month-old has helped grow his maturity.
“Once you’ve had success before, you’re never gonna be happy,” Warren said.
“You want more and more success. So you never get too high and never get too low. I had 31 in a win, but tomorrow I could have two in a loss. Just keep going, keep working hard, that’s all that matters.”
Warren finished 11 for 20 from the floor and 7 for 8 from the free-throw line with six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Up next
Following the Big South’s bunched scheduling, the Pirates play Gardner-Webb at noon today at the Convocation Center for the second half of a back-to-back with the opportunity to open the conference slate 4-0.
Dickens 0-1 0-0 0, Dean 1-7 2-4 4, Shelton 8-10 0-0 22, Warren 11-20 7-8 31, Banister 2-5 4-5 8, Godwin 2-4
1-2 5, Anthony 4-9 0-0 10, Thomas 0-4 0-0 0, Bethea
0-2 0-0 0, Earle 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-62 14-19 80. Halftime—Hampton 37-30. 3-Point Goals—Gardner-Webb 6-31(Terry 3-5, Sears 1-2, Williams 1-7, Cornwall 1-9, Dufeal 0-2, Falko 0-3, Selden 0-3), Hampton 10-22(Shelton 6-7, Warren 2-5, Anthony
2-7, Godwin 0-1, Banister 0-2). Fouled Out—Dickens. Rebounds—Gardner-Webb 40(Reid, Selden 6), Hampton 41(Dickens, Shelton, Warren, Godwin 6). Assists— Gardner-Webb 12(Sears 4), Hampton 17(Dean 14). Total Fouls—Gardner-Webb 22, Hampton 21.