Confronted by superior forces, Hampton University refused to surrender.

The MEAC champions put forth a valiant effort — albeit in defeat — against intimidating, undefeated, top-ranked University of Kentucky March 19 in the NCAA Tournament’s second round.

The HU Pirates actually led briefly in the early going, and played the Wildcats nearly even following intermission before bowing 79-56.

The Pirates faced long odds and long players.

“When they come at you with two 7-footers and then bring two more 7-footers off the bench, it tends to wear you down,” said HU Coach Ed Joyner Jr.

“That’s just what they did. They wore us down.”

NCAA games are supposed to be contested on neutral floors, but this Midwest Region setting with No. 1 seed Kentucky against No. 16 Hampton University was far from even in a game that didn’t start until 10:18 p.m.

The crowd of 21,639 at Louisville’s KFC Yum! Center was overwhelmingly pro-Wildcats.

Still, Hampton had its moments.

The Pirates’ 6-foot-6 junior Quinton Chievous led all scorers with 22 points, to go along with 10 rebounds.

Hampton even led 4-3 on a Chievous bucket at 17:45 during the first half.

During the game’s final 20 minutes, Kentucky out-scored Hampton only 38-34.

Freshman Karl-Anthony Towns, a likely lottery pick in the NBA June 25 draft, led the Wildcats with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

HU became the 35th feather in Kentucky’s unblemished cap.

The Wildcats are bidding to become the first NCAA champion since Indiana in 1976 to go undefeated.

Finishing 17-18, HU was a long shot simply to make the 68-team field. The Pirates were seeded sixth in the MEAC tournament in Norfolk and had to win four games to capture the title and automatic NCAA berth.

Even then, the Pirates had to defeat Manhattan College in a First Four play-in game in Dayton, Ohio, March 17 just to reach the Midwest Region.

Future landscapes appear rosy for Coach Joyner’s squad.

Hampton played throughout the MEAC tournament, the Manhattan game and against Kentucky without top scorer/rebounder Dwight Meikle, a junior, who was injured.

Only senior back-up center Emmanuel Okoroba won’t be coming back next season.

Chievous, outstanding throughout the postseason, is a native Chicagoan who transferred to HU from the University of Tennessee.

His father, Derrick Chievous, played several years in the NBA with the Houston Rockets and the Cleveland Cavaliers and is the University of Missouri’s all-time scorer.