Game Notes

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Hampton University men's basketball team will conclude the 2013 Corpus Christi Challenge on Friday and Saturday with a pair of games at the American Bank Center.

The Pirates (2-4) will take on in-state foe Liberty (1-5) on Friday at 2 p.m. EST, before taking on either Sam Houston State (4-2) or Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-4) on Saturday at a time to be determined.

Hampton lost its fourth straight game on Tuesday, suffering another cold shooting performance in a 69-40 loss at Virginia. Redshirt-sophomore guard Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) led Hampton with 12 points off the bench, while senior guard Ramon Mercado (Hollywood, Fla.) added nine points.

Junior forward Emmanuel Okoroba (Garland, Texas) chipped in eight points. Meikle and Okoroba each had a team-high four rebounds.

Liberty has lost its last four games following a season-opening 74-53 win over Randolph College – and the Flames fell 75-53 at Virginia this past Saturday. Senior guard Davon Marshall leads the Flames with 14.4 points per game, while Redshirt-senior forward Antwan Burrus is averaging 11.0 points a contest. Senior forward J.R. Coronado is the team's top rebounder, grabbing 4.8 boards a night.

After opening the season with four straight wins, Sam Houston State has lost its last two – including a 72-53 loss to SMU on Tuesday. Junior guard Kaheem Ransom is one of three Bearkats averaging in double figures in scoring, pouring in 14.3 points per game. Junior guard Jabari Peters is averaging 13.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, while sophomore guard Paul Baxter is averaging 10.7 points a night. Junior center Michael Holyfield is grabbing a team-best 6.5 rebounds per contest.

After opening the season with back-to-back wins, Arkansas-Pine Bluff has lost its last four games – including an 88-55 loss at Texas A&M on Tuesday. Junior forward Davon Haynes is leading the Golden Lions with 13.2 points per game, while junior guard Tevin Hammond is pouring in 12.0 points per game and junior guard Marcel Mosley is averaging 10.2 points a night. Jared Young is the team's top rebounder, grabbing 6.0 per contest.

Hampton is 2-2 all-time against Liberty, as the teams have alternated wins. Liberty won the last meeting, a 74-65 defeat of the Pirates in the 2011-12 season, and Hampton's last win over the Flames came the season before, when the Pirates won 62-59 at the HU Convocation Center. This will be the first meeting between the two teams on a neutral court.

Hampton has never faced Sam Houston State or Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

The Pirates are 12-10 all-time against schools currently in the Big South, 1-2 against schools currently in the Southland Conference, and 1-0 against teams currently in the SWAC.

The Pirates went 0-1 on neutral courts last season – a 56-51 loss to Wofford in Wilmington, N.C. – and under head coach Edward Joyner, Jr., Hampton is 15-8 on neutral courts, including an 8-1 mark in 2010-11 (when the Pirates won 24 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament).

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.