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HAMPTON, Va. — N.C. A&T didn't shoot well Monday night, but a season-high 24 offensive rebounds helped the Aggies down Hampton 69-65 in a MEAC men's basketball game at the HU Convocation Center.

Robert Johnson led A&T (9-17, 5-7 conference) with 13 points. Thomas Coleman added 11 points and 11 rebounds, and seven of his boards came at the offensive end. The Aggies outscored the Pirates 25-11 on second-chance points.

"The kids played unbelievably hard today," said Jerry Eaves, A&T's coach. "We came out with emotion and spirit, and we even kept fighting when they got ahead. We just crushed them on the boards.

"I don't know why we haven't been playing like this all along. This team has the ability to do this every time out."

The Aggies took an 11-4 lead only to see Hampton (8-17, 4-8) tie the score at 26. The Pirates used an 11-3 run to take a 37-29 lead with 49 seconds remaining in the first half and went to the locker room up 37-31.

Hampton increased its lead to 40-31 in the second half before Austin Witter started a 10-0 A&T run with a 3-pointer, and Smith alumnus Tavarus Alston (11 points) hit a floater to give the Aggies the lead.

A&T went up 55-47 on a Nic Simpson 3-pointer with 9:20 to play and never trailed by less than four again.

N.C A&T (9-17) — Alston 4-15 3-5 11, Joshua 3-9 3-5 11, Coleman 5-13 1-4 11, Witter 1-2 0-0 3, Johnson 6-10 0-0 13, Powell 0-0 0-2 0, Hill 2-4 0-0 6, Simpson 2-3 2-4 7, Upchurch 1-2 2-2 4, Porter 1-3 1-4 3. Totals 25-61 12-26 69.

HAMPTON (8-17) — Pellum 7-15 3-3 18, Simpson 4-13 0-0 11, Tunnell 0-1 3-4 3, Funches 2-6 0-0 4, Freeman 4-7 4-6 12, Tuitt 2-4 0-2 4, Tolson 0-3 0-0 0, Morgan II 4-5 0-0 11, Ntoko 1-2 0-0 2, Reed 0-0 0-0 0, Lola-Charles 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-56 10-15 65.

Halftime—Hampton 37-31.
3-point goals—N.C A&T 7-18 (Joshua 2-3, Hill 2-3, Witter 1-1, Simpson 1-2, Johnson 1-3, Alston 0-6), Hampton 7-22 (Morgan II 3-4, Simpson 3-7, Pellum 1-8, Tolson 0-1, Tuitt 0-2).
Fouled out—Funches.
Rebounds—N.C A&T 46 (Coleman 11), Hampton 31 (Freeman 8).
Assists—N.C A&T 10 (Alston 6), Hampton 14 (Pellum 5).
Total fouls—N.C A&T 12, Hampton 21.
A—3,542.