HAMPTON, Va. (HamptonPirates.com) – Behind career-highs from Davion Warren with 31 points and Chris Shelton adding 22, Hampton opened Big South Conference play 3-0 for the first time on Wednesday with an 80-69 win over Gardner-Webb.
Deuce Dean also joined the career-high group dishing out 14 assists as Hampton evened its record at 4-4 and 3-0 in the Big South Conference. The Pirates are 3-0 for the first time in league since the 2015-16 team started 6-0 in MEAC play.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs started the game with the first seven points to lead 7-0 on a Lance Terry 3-pointer with 17:06 left in the half. A 3-ball from Shelton got Hampton on the board 63 seconds later and started a 14-0 run by the Pirates. Warren scored the last five points of that run to lead 14-7 following a 3-pointer at the 11:28 mark.
After a 3-pointer by Jaheam Cornwall brought the guests to 37-35 with 18:19 left in the game, Hampton doused any hopes with a 15-3 run to take a 52-38 advantage on another 3-pointer by Shelton with 13:22 remaining. Saheem Anthony drained a 3-ball to give Hampton its largest lead of the night at 65-49 with 6:55 left.
Hampton matched its season high of 10 3-pointers and hit a season-best 45.5% from behind the arc. Shelton going 6-for-7 matched the school record for highest 3-point percentage in a game (85.7%) last done by Lysander Bracey on Feb. 3, 2018 against N.C. A&T.
Anthony joined Shelton and Warren in double figures with 10 points, while Daniel Banister just missed with a career-high eight points.
The same two teams will tangle on Thursday at noon inside the Hampton University Convocation Center.
