Game Notes

BALTIMORE, Md. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will hit the road to open the bulk of its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) slate this weekend, starting with a meeting with Coppin State at the Physical Education Complex on Saturday at 4 p.m.

The Pirates (11-3, 1-0 MEAC), in their second season under head coach Edward Joyner Jr., have won four of their last five games after taking two of three contests in the Hilltop Classic over the New Year. Junior guard Kwame Morgan II (Largo, Md.) gave the Pirates a 77-75 win over Colorado State on New Year's Day to end the tournament with a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds to play on his way to a game- and career-high 29 points.

Junior guard Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.) added 17 points, while senior forward Charles Funches (Jersey City, N.J.) and junior guar Christopher Tolson (Laurel, Md.) each added 10 points.

The Eagles (5-7, 0-1 MEAC) snapped a four-game losing streak on Monday with a 78-73 win over Div. II Wilmington at the Physical Education Complex. Junior guard Michael Harper led four Eagles in double figures with 17 points, while senior center Ceslovas Kucinskas and junior forward Antonio Williams each added 13 points and junior guard Tony Gallo scored 12 points. Williams added 12 rebounds.

Hampton is 13-13 against Coppin State since moving to Division I in 1995. The Eagles won the first meeting 76-69 on Jan. 11, 1997, and the Pirates won last year's meeting 69-67 at the HU Convocation Center on Jan. 9, 2010. Prior to last season, Coppin State had won four straight against the Pirates. The Eagles won the first seven games in the series, before Hampton rattled off nine straight wins from 2000-05. Hampton is 5-6 on the road against Coppin State.

The Eagles went 8-22 last season, finishing 11th in the MEAC with a 3-13 mark and ending the year with a 64-58 loss to Maryland Eastern Shore in the first round of the conference tournament. Head Coach Ron “Fang” Mitchell returns three starters and four letterwinners from last year's squad, and the Eagles were picked to finish tied for 10th in the MEAC this season.

Junior guard Michael Harper leads three Eagles in double figures in scoring, pouring in 15.7 points per game. Junior guard Tony Gallo is second on the team with 13.4 points per contest, while junior forward Akeem Ellis is third in scoring with 10.5 points a night, while also pulling down a team-high 4.7 rebounds per game.

The Eagles are scoring 67.8 points a night, while giving up 75.3 points a contest.

The Pirates are 3-2 in true road games so far this season, and had won three straight on the road following a season-opening loss at Wake Forest before falling 69-57 at San Francisco. Hampton has beaten Fordham (58-48), George Washington (62-51) and High Point (70-64) on the road. For his head coaching career, Pirates coach Edward Joyner Jr. is 9-11 on the road.

Following Saturday's contest, the Pirates will take on Morgan State on Monday at the Hill Field House at 8 p.m. For more information on Hampton University basketball, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com.