Another first for women
Hampton women hold off Bulldogs for first victory
Becky Hammon guides the Spurs after Gregg Popovich’s ejection Wednesday night, becoming the first female to be a head coach in an NBA regular-season game.
HAMPTON — Hot shooting by Gardner-Webb on Thursday afternoon ended Hampton University’s winning streak at three and kept the Pirates from sweeping a two-game Big South series at HU Convocation Center.
The Bulldogs sank 13 of 30 3-point tries — including five baskets from beyond the arc by Jaheam Cornwall — to defeat the Pirates 80-69. Coincidentally, that was the exact score by which Hampton won Wednesday.
Davion Warren netted 23 points for HU (4-5, 3-1 Big South), while 7-foot teammate Dajour Dickens had 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven blocks. Marquis Godwin added 12 points, while Daniel Banister had 11.
Jacob Falko led Gardner-Webb (2-5, 1-1) with 22 points, while Cornwall had 17 and Kareem Reid 13. Falko and D’Maurian Williams hit three 3-pointers apiece, and the Bulldogs had just seven turnovers to the Pirates’ 13.
Alongside Gardner-Webb’s long-range accuracy and the Bulldogs’ defensive concentration on Hampton’s Chris Shelton, the combination was too much for the Pirates.
Shelton, who had 22 points Wednesday in Hampton’s victory, got just two shots off Thursday and missed both, finishing scoreless.
“They did a better job of taking Chris Shelton out of the game, and they made some shots,” HU coach Buck Joyner said. “It wasn’t all our failures on defense. You gotta give Gardner-Webb some credit. Last night we were able to take the 3 away, and we did an OK job on defense today. They made some tough shots.”
Warren led the Pirates for the second day in a row, though he had eight fewer points Thursday.
HU went ahead 21-12 in the rematch and was on top 25-18 with less than 11 minutes to go in the first half, but Gardner-Webb outscored the Pirates 27-6 to go into the intermission ahead 45-31.
The Bulldogs began the second half by extending the lead. They were ahead by double figures throughout the second half and by as many 20.
Joyner said he’ll give his players today off and “get back Saturday and get back Saturday and start getting ready for Radford.”
The Pirates will travel west to face the Highlanders at 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
GARDNER-WEBB 80, HAMPTON 69 GARDNER-WEBB (2-5, 1-1Big South): Dufeal 1-4 0-0 2, Reid 6-7 1-1 13, Cornwall 5-14 2-2 17, Falko 7-15 5-5 22, Selden 2-3 0-2 4, Williams 3-10 0-0 9, Mann 3-5 1-2 8, Sears 1-3 0-0 3, Lynott
1-2 0-0 2, Itodo 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 29-63 9-12 80.
HAMPTON (5-4, 3-1): Dickens 4-5 4-6 12, Dean 4-9 0-2 8, Shelton 0-2 0-0 0, Warren 9-17 2-5 23, Banister 4-9 0-0
11, Godwin 5-12 0-0 12, Earle 1-1 0-0 3, Anthony 0-1 0-0 0, Bethea 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-56 6-13 69. Half—Gardner-Webb 45-31. 3-point goals—Gardner-Webb 13-30 (Cornwall 5-9, Falko 3-6, Williams 3-8, Mann 1-1, Sears 1-2, Lynott 0-1, Selden
0-1, Dufeal 0-2), HU 9-22 (Banister
3-4, Warren 3-8, Godwin 2-7, Earle
1-1, Shelton 0-2). Rebounds—Gardner-Webb 27(Williams 8), HU 31(Dickens 11). Assists—Gardner-Webb 18 (Cornwall 6), HU 11(Warren 5). Fouls— Gardner-Webb 13, HU 12.
Women Hampton 46, Gardner-Webb 38
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — The Pirates (1-5, 1-3 Big South) broke through for their first victory, holding off the Bulldogs (2-7, 2-2) Thursday to split a two-game series.
Hampton led for the great majority of the game, outscoring the Bulldogs 25-16 in the middle quarters to go ahead 37-29. But Gardner-Webb closed to 40-38 before the Pirates’ Nas Nigatu, who had 13 points, sank a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left.
The game was delayed by 37 minutes with 7:10 left in the third quarter and HU ahead 27-24.
After an incident with pushing and shoving following a collision on a drive to the basket, HU’s Victoria Davis and Gardner-Webb’s Jhessyka Williams were ejected. Williams had been instrumental in the Bulldogs’ 70-56 Wednesday over HU, scoring 11 points.