Charleston defeats Hampton 74-70
Charleston Survives Thrilling 74-70 Victory Over Hampton in TD Arena
The energy inside the TD Arena was palpable as the Charleston Cougars hosted their conference rivals, the Hampton Pirates, in a tightly contested matchup that went down to the wire. In the end, it was Charleston's home crowd and the team's own resilience that led to a 4-point victory, as they edged out Hampton 74-70.
The first half saw both teams struggle to find their rhythm, with Charleston leading at halftime by just two points, 28-26. However, it was Hampton who took control of the tempo in the second half, leading by as many as 12 points midway through the period. But Charleston refused to back down, making a series of crucial adjustments that allowed them to claw their way back into the game.
The turning point came when Colby Duggan, Charleston's senior guard, hit two clutch three-pointers in a span of just over a minute to cut Hampton's lead to just 2 points with under 4 minutes remaining. The Pirates responded by making several crucial free throws down the stretch, but Charleston's Jlynn Counter and Chol Machot were more than up to the task, combining for 19 and 7 points respectively in the final 3:45 of play.
For Hampton, Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt led the charge with 17 points on 45.5% shooting, while Xzavier Long chipped in with 13 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. However, it was ultimately too little, too late as they fell short against a team that showed remarkable poise and determination.
The stats tell the story here – Charleston's ability to out-rebound Hampton (28-39) and limit their opponent's turnovers allowed them to maintain control of the tempo throughout. Meanwhile, Hampton struggled with accuracy on both ends of the floor, shooting just 40% from the field and committing a whopping 24 fouls.
As the final buzzer sounded, Charleston celebrated a hard-fought conference victory that showcased the team's depth and resilience. For Hampton, it was a tough lesson in playing in hostile environments – one that they will undoubtedly take away for next time around.