HAMPTON — In a congested CAA race, Hampton University desperately needed a win Thursday to start its climb out of a nine-team logjam in the standings.
The Pirates delivered, outlasting Elon 87–79 in double overtime at the Convocation Center to snap a three-game losing streak and stay firmly in the thick of the Coastal Athletic Association standings. The victory marked Hampton’s first double-overtime game since 2018 and its first 2OT win since 2015.
“It was extremely important,” Hampton coach Ivan Thomas said of the win. “We did what we needed to do: You got to protect home court. Somehow figure out how to win your own games.”
Hampton (11-13, 5-6 CAA) did exactly that, leaning on balance, defensive intensity and resilience over 50 minutes. Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt led the Pirates with 23 points and three steals, while Daniel Johnson added a season-high-tying 17 points and seven rebounds. Etienne Strothers posted a career-high 18 points and four steals, and Josh Ogundele chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds.
Elon (13-11, 5-6) was carried almost entirely by Chandler Cuthrell, who poured in 32 points. Cuthrell’s entered Thursday’s game as the CAA’s third-leading scorer (20.7 points per game). Hampton limited much of the rest of the Phoenix roster, especially late, when defensive stops finally swung the game.
The win came in dramatic fashion. After Johnson drilled a step-back 3-pointer with 24 seconds left in regulation to tie the game, Hampton stopped Elon’s final possession to send it to overtime. The Pirates then survived a back-and-forth first extra period before taking control in the second OT.
Gaines-Wyatt opened double overtime with a 3-pointer, and Strothers followed with a steal and breakaway dunk that gave Hampton its largest lead since the first half. Free throws down the stretch sealed the result as the Pirates pulled away late. Elon didn’t make a field goal in the second overtime period.
“I thought we defended well in the last four minutes of regulation, and then definitely in the two overtimes,” Thomas said. “That’s what winning basketball is about.”
Prior to the late-game dramatics, the first half was as back-and-forth as it gets. Hampton seized control midway through the first half with a 15-4 run to open a nine-point lead, but Elon answered with a 12-3 closing stretch to send the game tied 33-33 into halftime — notable for a Hampton team that entered the night winless when not leading at the break.
The second half mirrored the first: Neither side created separation, and Hampton’s final lead in regulation came at 48-46 with just more than 13 minutes remaining. Elon answered late, but Hampton stayed composed to open the door for Johnson’s overtime-forcing shot.
The performance came despite Hampton being shorthanded — leading scorer Michael Eley missed his third straight game (turf toe) — something Thomas noted afterward as a reflection of the team’s growth.
“We just kept fighting,” he said. “Really embodied culture.”
Johnson credited Thomas’ steady message for helping him stay aggressive when shots weren’t falling early. The Pirates shot 37% in regulation.
“He told us the shots were gonna fall,” Johnson said. “I just had that belief in Coach.”
Beyond the box score, the win reinforced Hampton’s reliance on its home floor, where the Pirates are 8-1 this season. They’ll host 757 rival William & Mary on Saturday. With another conference opponent looming and the standings still tightly packed, Thomas emphasized consistency as the next step.
“We have to demand more out of ourselves,” he said. “Tonight, we took a step forward.”
