In a game of No. 5 and No. 6 conference seeds, Reggie Johnson led the Pirates with 20 points to go along with three rebounds and two assists. His teammate Brian Darden also added 20 points despite shooting 4-of-10 from the field.
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Tied at 35 at halftime, Hampton went on a 13-3 run midway through the second half to take a 52-43 lead with 11:01 and never looked back, ending the game on a 15-3 run.
Delaware State (18-17) was led by first-team MEAC selection Amere May, who finished the game with 20 points, three rebounds, and two assists.
Hampton (16-17) becomes just the ninth team since 2000 to enter the NCAA tournament with a losing record. They will likely be either a 15 or 16 seed, but the low ranking did not affect them in 2001 when they became one of seven 15-seeds to have upset a No. 2 seed in the NCAA tournament by defeating Iowa State.
The Pirates last received in automatic bid in 2011. They then lost in the second round to Duke 87-45.
