Northern Kentucky 69, Hampton 67 (OT)
Junior guard Jordan Jackson made a 20-foot jumper with 0.9 seconds left in overtime, lifting Northern Kentucky to a 69-67 victory over Hampton on Wednesday night in Highland Heights, Ky.
Jackson's shot came after Hampton sophomore guard Deron Powers committed a turnover with 11 seconds left as the Pirates were maneuvering for the last shot. After Jackson's jumper, Hampton (5-6) had one last chance, but Brian Darden's desperation attempt from just inside the midcourt stripe bounced off the back iron.
Jackson finished with a game-high 21 points, including seven in the final 4:05 of regulation and five in the extra period for Northern Kentucky, which won its second straight.
In their second season in Division I, the Norse (3-7) trailed by 12 points early in the second half before sophomore center Jake Giesler ignited a rally with two 3-pointers. The 6-foot-7 transfer from Jacksonville scored 14 of his career-high 16 points in a 6:52 span of the second half to get Northern Kentucky back in the game.
Another frontcourt reserve, sophomore Jack Flournoy, also was instrumental in the comeback, scoring 10 of his 13 points after intermission.
The loss ended a three-game winning streak for Hampton, which got 16 points and five assists from Powers and 14 points, six rebounds and six blocked shots from forward Du'Vaughn Maxwell. Forward Jervon Pressley was impressive in his Pirates debut. The 6-foot-8 sophomore, a transfer from Towson, had seven points and a game-high nine rebounds. He twice scored field goals in overtime to give Hampton the lead.
However, with one minute left, Giesler made a left-handed hook shot to tie it, setting the scene for Jackson's game winner.
Northern Kentucky prevailed despite shooting 19 percent from the floor in the first half. The Norse were up 15-5 before going stone cold. When Northern Kentucky went scoreless from the floor in the first 5:21 of the second half, the Pirates took the game's biggest lead, 41-29.
