CAA Men’s Basketball Recap – Feb. 13-14
2/14/2026 2:01:51 AM
North Carolina A&T 71, Hampton 70
Box Score
For the fifth time in eight CAA conference showdowns, the battle between North Carolina A&T (10-14, 3-10 CAA) and Hampton (12-14, 6-7 CAA) was decided by one point as a late three-point play by Trent Middleton Jr. erased a nine-point deficit and propelled the Aggies to a 71-70 victory in the fifth installment of the NBA HBCU Classic during at NBA All-Star 2026. The senior guard cut through the paint and drew contact through his up-and-under attempt, getting the bank off the glass before sinking the free throw to seal the game at Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif.
Middleton finished with 15 points, four boards, three assists and a trio of steals. Lewis Walker led all scorers with 18 points to go on a 5-of-9 shooting clip and eight made free throws. Will Felton rounded out those in double figures with 12 points of his own. The Pirates’ Jalyke Gaines-Wyatt and Xzavier Long scored 17 points apiece, while Elijah Kennedy added 13 points in reserve.
The Aggies’ Dwayne Pierce hit a trey to open the scoring from the West Coast before Daniel Johnson connected from distance, part of an 8-0 run out of the gate for the Pirates. Hampton eventually saw its lead grow to as many as nine, 28-19, after Gaines-Wyatt drove to the rim for a finish with 4:08 to play. A&T worked back to within four, 30-26, before the intermission, thanks to a layup in the lane by Zamoku Weluche-Ume.
Hampton’s Long hit a stepback trifecta from the corner that sparked four straight makes for the Pirates and a 38-29 lead early in the second half. Will Felton jumpstarted an 11-2 run, helping the Aggies pull within one possession, 40-37, with 14:07 to go. Middleton made it a one-point game at the midway point but was quickly countered by a triple from Kennedy to put the Pirates back ahead by four with under 10 minutes to play. After Hampton doubled its lead, A&T did not go away and used a 6-0 run, capped off by a Walker layup through contact, to cut the deficit to two, 60-58, with 3:13 to play. The Aggies continued to have an answer and erased a five-point deficit with 92 seconds remaining when Middleton stormed down the lane, finishing through contact and completing the three-point play with 4.3 seconds to go. Gaines-Wyatt went the length of the court on the final possession and watched his attempt rattle around the rim and out for the Aggies to hold on for the one-point win.