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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
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Men’s basketball drops home opener to Hampton 61-48

The AU Eagles dropped its home opener to the Hampton Pirates, 61-48, after Hampton’s surge in the second half.

Despite the double digit loss, head coach Mike Brennan remained optimistic about his team’s chances going forward, especially with the rise of junior forward Paris Maragkos and his success on the court thus far.

“I have to keep in mind that all of this is new for Paris,” Brennan said. “I’m excited about Paris. I think he’s going to be good for us. He’s coming along. It’s just a question of playing games and getting reps. We’re just looking for reliability from as many guys as we can get it from.”

The game started off slowly, with missed layups and turnovers from both teams. Hampton opened the game with a 1-2-2 half court press, which prevented the Eagles from getting into their rhythm offensively. Maragkos, who sat out last year due to NCAA transfer eligibility rules, missed a dunk and a handful of layups.

However, the Eagles hit their stride as the half progressed and led 23-21 going into the break. Maragkos and junior forward Charlie Jones each racked up six points for the Eagles, but Hampton’s senior center Jervon Pressey led the Pirates with seven points and five rebounds, proving to be a tough matchup for Maragkos.

As the second half started, Hampton jumped ahead. The Pirates came out of the gate and hit five of their first six shots, two of them being three-pointers. The Pirates outscored the Eagles 21-6 in the first eight minutes of the second half to take the lead in the game Their physicality and speed presented matchup problems for the Eagles, and Hampton lead by as many as 12 points in the second half.

The Eagles began to chip away at the lead behind Maragkos and freshman guard Delante Jones. After his first half struggles, Maragkos found his touch and finished well around the basket and even stepped out and nailed a straightaway three pointer. Jones brought energy on defense and showcased a complete offensive repertoire, nailing two threes as well as getting into the paint and increasing his point total with four field goals.

AU cut the lead to four points with a 1:12 remaining on a play drawn up by Brennan, with senior forward Marko Vasic finding senior guard Jesse Reed for a easy backdoor layup. Hampton came down and immediately answered, with Hampton senior guard Reginald Johnson twisting in the lane and finishing the play despite getting fouled. Hampton brought the lead back up to seven and went on to win by 13.

The Eagles were led by a balanced attack, with Maragkos and Reed each scoring 12 points. Delante Jones chipped in ten points. Charlie Jones stuffed the stat sheet, scoring six points, grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out a team-high four assists. Hampton was lead by Johnson, who scored a game-high 19 points while Jervon Pressley added 13 points and five boards.

AU will head to St. Francis on Saturday, the first of five straight road games for the Eagles.

mholt@theeagleonline.com


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