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Late dunk lifts Howard past Hampton 56-54

Dec 6, 2009 - 4:08 AM NEW YORK(AP) -- Paul Kirkpatrick dunked with 5 seconds left and Howard won its first game of the season, beating Hampton 56-54 on Saturday night in the Big Apple Classic at Madison Square Garden.

It was also the Mid-Eastern Conference season opener for both teams, as the Bison (1-8) took a 54-51 lead on Adam Walker's jumper with 36 seconds to play. Hampton's Vincent Simpson tied the game at 54 on a 3-pointer 20 seconds later.

But Kirkpatrick, who led the Bison with 13 points and 10 rebounds, put them ahead for good on his dunk. Simpson, who finished with 10 points, missed a 3-point attempt as time expired.

Howard's Calvin Thompson had 11 points and six rebounds.

Curtis White had a game-high 14 points for the Pirates (2-7).

The Bison won despite shooting 32.7 percent (18-for-55) from the field compared to Hampton, which shot 44.7 percent (21-for-47).