RICHMOND, Va., March 9 (UPI) -- Tommy Adams scored 19 points Saturday as the Hampton Pirates rolled to their second consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament title with an 80-62 victory over Howard.
Hampton (26-6) dominated the MEAC with a 17-1 mark during the regular season and avenged the lone loss, an 82-81 defeat at Howard on Feb. 26.
While the Pirates entered the season as defending champions, they lost their top three scorers from a team that upset Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The Pirates built a 37-32 halftime lead and took command with a 13-2 run to open the second half for a 50-34 advantage. The Bison climbed within 68-58, but a 7-1 run capped by a dunk from Barry Hairston helped Hampton pull away.
Ron Williamson led Howard (18-12) with 14 points, falling far short of his career-high 41-point effort in the victory over Hampton. The Bison shot just 29 percent and Williamson was five of 22.
"The last time we played Howard, Ron Williamson scored 41 on us and hit nine threes," Hampton coach Steve Merfeld said. "Today, (Mackell) Purvis's defense on Williamson was outstanding."
Howard also was forced to play without starting point guard Gil Goodrich for the first half. Goodrich was suspended by the MEAC for the half after punching Delaware State's Miles Davis in a semifinal victory on Friday.
Goodrich had a strong second half with 11 points and five assists but Howard did not make a serious run.
Purvis collected 15 points and 10 rebounds while Dwayne McNeal added 13 off the bench. The Pirates also received a strong outing from David Johnson, who scored six points and grabbed seven boards.
"Our game plan was to go inside to David Johnson and Dwayne McNeal," Merfeld said. "They were able to get (Bison center) Aki (Collins) in foul trouble. Without him, Howard is a different team."
Collins managed just eight points and 13 rebounds.
