North Carolina A&T and Hampton met in the fifth NBA HBCU Classic and it lived up to the title. NC A&T won 71-70, on Feb. 13 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, in a matchup of Coastal Athletic Association programs.
The Aggies (10-14, 3-10 CAA) trailed 30-26 at halftime but flipped the script with a 45-point second half and just enough poise in the final minute to hold off the Pirates (12-14, 6-7 CAA).
That last minute was pure chaos.
With 1:22 left, Hampton's Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt went to the line and split a pair, pushing the Pirates ahead 68-62. But North Carolina A&T didn't blink. Will Felton's tip-in just before that had already kept the Aggies within striking distance, and the pressure defense soon turned the game into a track meet.
At :59, a Hampton turnover became another dagger opportunity for A&T. Trent Middleton Jr. picked off the play, and Bryson Ogletree finished the sequence with a layup at :57 to cut it to 68-64. Seconds later, Hampton coughed it up again, and Lewis Walker capitalized at the line-two free throws at :43 made it 68-66.
Then came the possession that cracked the game wide open. With :35 to go, Walker stole another Hampton ball, drew contact, and calmly knocked down two more free throws to tie it, 68-68.
Hampton answered. Gaines-Wyatt hit both free throws at :25 to put the Pirates back in front, 70-68.
But Middleton delivered the finish. With four seconds remaining, he drove for the tying layup, absorbed contact, and sank the free throw to give the Aggies a 71-70 lead. Gaines-Wyatt's last-second jumper at the horn missed, sealing the one-point escape.
Walker led A&T with 18 points, while Middleton added 15-including the final three points. Hampton got 17 apiece from Gaines-Wyatt and Xzavier Long, but the late turnovers proved decisive.
Previous NBA HBCU Classic Winners: Howard, Grambling State, Winston-Salem State and Tuskegee.
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