HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will return to the HU Convocation Center on Tuesday, where the Pirates will take on the Panthers of High Point at 7 p.m.

The Pirates (2-3), in their third season under head coach Edward Joyner Jr., finished third in the Mayan Division of the 2011 Triple Crown Cancun Challenge on Wednesday, defeating SIU-Edwardsville 68-64. Senior guard Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.), who made the Mayan Division All-Tournament Team, led four Pirates in double figures with 24 points, while sophomore center David Bruce (Linden, N.J.) added 12 points and eight rebounds.

The Pirates have won seven of their last 11 games dating back to last season, and Wednesday's 68-64 win over SIU-Edwardsville snapped a three-game losing streak.

The Panthers (2-3) snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday with an 80-72 overtime win over The Citadel. Sophomore guard Xavier Martin led all scorers with 21 points, while senior guard Nick Barbour added 20 points – 10 of which came in overtime.

High Point went 12-19 overall last season and advanced to the semifinals of the Big South Tournament after finishing the season 7-11 in league play. The Panthers, under third-year head coach Scott Cherry, return its top three scorers from last season and eight letterwinners overall, while also welcoming six newcomers to the roster. High Point was picked to finish sixth in the Big South this season.

Barbour, Preseason All-Big South selection, leads High Point in scoring, pouring in 16.2 points per game, while junior forward Corey Law is second in scoring with 12.8 points per contest and leading the team in rebounding with 9.0 boards per night. Senior guard Shay Shine is averaging 12.0 points per game.

The Panthers are averaging 73.8 points a game on offense, while giving up 67.4 points a night.

The Pirates are 1-0 all-time against High Point, taking the only meeting between the two teams last season, 70-64 in High Point, N.C.

Hampton is 8-5 all-time against teams from the Big South, including a 3-0 mark against such teams last season. The Pirates defeated Winthrop (45-44), High Point (70-64) and Liberty (62-59) last season. The Pirates are 1-0 against Charleston Southern; 1-1 against Coastal Carolina; 1-0 against High Point; 2-1 against Liberty; 2-2 against Radford; and 1-1 against Winthrop.

The Pirates went 8-3 at the HU Convocation Center last season, despite losing their last two home games of the season. Starting with a 78-67 win over Towson on Dec. 20 last season, the Pirates won seven straight home games – including five in a row against MEAC competition. For his career as a head coach, Joyner is 15-9 at home, and the Pirates won their 2011-12 home opener on Nov. 12, a 73-58 defeat of William & Mary.

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.