Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will return to the HU Convocation Center on Sunday, looking to snap a two-game skid as the Pirates take on Winthrop at 2 p.m.

The Pirates (5-7) suffered their second straight loss on Dec. 21 with a 55-49 defeat at the hands of James Madison in the Governor's Holiday Hoops Classic in Richmond, Va. Sophomore guard Brian Darden (Richmond, Va.) led the Pirates with 14 points, while sophomore guard Ke'Ron Brown (Savannah, Ga.) added 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds.

Senior forward Du'Vaughn Maxwell (Manhattan, N.Y.) scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds, while also recording three steals and three blocks.

Winthrop (6-4) returns all five starters from a squad that went 14-17 last season, which was its first under head coach Pat Kelsey. The Eagles were picked to finish fifth in the South Division of the Big South this season, and freshman guard Keon Johnson leads three Winthrop players in double figures, averaging 13.9 points per game.

Senior forward Joab Jerome is averaging 12.3 points per contest, while junior guard Andre Smith is pouring in 11.4 points per night. Junior forward James Bourne is grabbing a team-best 4.5 rebounds a contest. The Eagles have dropped their last two contests are falling 62-56 to Wofford on Dec. 21.

Hampton is 1-2 against Winthrop, with that win coming on a neutral court, 45-44, in the 2010-11 season. Winthrop beat the Pirates 50-42 in Rock Hill, S.C. last season. The Eagles have never made the trip to the HU Convocation Center; Hampton was on the road for two of the previous three meetings.

Hampton is 12-11 all-time against schools currently in the Big South Conference, including a 70-53 loss to Liberty earlier this season in the Corpus Christi Challenge on Nov. 29. The Pirates are 0-1 against Campbell; 1-0 against Charleston Southern; 1-1 against Coastal Carolina; 2-0 against High Point; 2-3 against Liberty; 3-1 against Longwood; 2-3 against Radford; and 1-2 against Winthrop.

The Pirates have never faced Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian, UNC Asheville, or VMI.

The Pirates went 7-8 at the HU Convocation Center last season, even though they won three of their last five home contests. During Edward Joyner Jr.'s career as a head coach, Hampton is 30-23 overall in the Convocation Center, and the Pirates won their home debut on Nov. 9, defeating William & Mary 77-69, before falling 90-79 to Delaware on Nov. 17.

The Pirates won their first conference home game of the season on Dec. 7, beating Florida A&M 72-62, before beating Bethune-Cookman 85-52 on Dec. 9.

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.