HAMPTON, Va. (Interstat) — Michael Eley scored 21 points and a dominant second-half performance propelled the Hampton Pirates to a 76-65 victory over the Northeastern Huskies in a Colonial Athletic Association men’s basketball game Saturday at the Convocation Center.

A crowd of 1,897 watched the Pirates overcome a five-point halftime deficit by outscoring the Huskies 43-27 after intermission, leveraging superior efficiency to pull away. Hampton improved to 13-17 overall, while Northeastern dropped to 6-22.

The game’s decisive shift came early in the second half. After Northeastern’s Youri Fritz opened the scoring with a layup to extend the Huskies’ lead to 40-35, Hampton unleashed a 14-2 run over the next four minutes to seize control. The surge was fueled by defensive pressure and opportunistic scoring. Etienne Strothers, who finished with 12 points, ignited the run with a layup. Eley then buried a 3-pointer, and after a Northeastern miss, Daniel Johnson stole the ball and converted a driving layup to cap the run, putting Hampton ahead 49-42 with 12:14 remaining.

Northeastern, which had led 38-33 at halftime thanks to 13 points from Fritz and 10 from Xavier Abreu, never recovered. The Huskies’ offensive struggles, particularly from beyond the arc, proved insurmountable. They shot a frigid 3 for 20 from 3-point range for the game and just 24 for 62 overall from the floor.

Hampton, by contrast, executed with precision, shooting 50.9% on 27-of-53 shooting. The Pirates also capitalized at the free-throw line, making 18 of 23 attempts, and committed only three turnovers, a season-low that underscored their disciplined play.

Eley, a 6-foot-4 guard from Fort Wayne, Indiana, was the catalyst, adding an assist and a steal in 28 minutes. He was supported by a balanced attack that saw Strothers add two assists, while Johnson contributed 12 points, a block and a steal. Quintin Cooper provided a spark off the bench with eight points.

Fritz, a 6-foot-8 forward from Tiel, Netherlands, led Northeastern with 13 points, three assists and a block. William Kermoury also scored 13 for the Huskies, and Abreu finished with 10. Northeastern’s backcourt of Mike Loughnane and Ryan Williams combined for 17 points but shot 7 of 23 from the field.

The statistical disparity told the story of Hampton’s control. The Pirates scored 76 points on just 65 possessions, an offensive rating of 117.1, while Northeastern managed only 65 points on 69 trips, a rating of 94.2. Hampton also dominated the paint, outscoring Northeastern 44-32, and turned six Huskies turnovers into 11 points.

Northeastern’s last lead came at 40-37 following Fritz’s early second-half basket. After Hampton’s pivotal run, the Huskies closed within four points on two occasions, the last at 53-49 after a pair of free throws from Petar Pinter. Each time, Hampton answered. A layup by Josh Ogundele and a driving score from Johnson pushed the lead back to eight, and the Pirates methodically extended their advantage down the stretch, leading by as many as 13 points.

The victory provided a positive note for Hampton as it heads into its regular-season finale on the road against William & Mary on Tuesday. Northeastern, mired in a five-game losing streak, will look to regroup when it hosts Monmouth on Tuesday.