The off-the-backboard shot is usually seen as something of style rather than substance. But Hampton University’s Derrion Pellum managed to pull off the risky move at a time when it wasn’t all flash.

Pellum, a senior guard at the historically African-American college, leads the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in scoring at 18.4 points per game.

In Wednesday night’s game against Maryland Eastern Shore, Pellum poked away the ball from guard Mark Robertson at mid-court but didn’t have a good angle after he retrieved the ball and raced up court in transition. As a result, Pellum evaded Robertson by tossing the ball off the glass, moving around him and throwing down an emphatic two-handed slam-dunk.

Pellum’s self alley-oop earned top play honors on “SportsCenter” and helped the Hampton star receive the type of exposure that is typically difficult for players in the MEAC to get.

The MEAC is made up of other historically black colleges and has had automatic qualifying bids for NCAA postseason bids in men’s basketball since 1981. It’s a Division I conference in the FCS.

Aside from the highlight reel worthy dunk, Pellum scored 33 points against Maryland Eastern Shore, three shy of his career high.