Game Notes

SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will look to snap its two-game conference skid on Saturday night, as the Pirates square off against MEAC foe Savannah State at 6 p.m. in Tiger Arena to kick off four straight on the road.
 
The Pirates (8-10, 3-2 MEAC) dropped their second conference game of the season on Monday, falling 80-71 to Morgan State despite holding a one-point lead at the half. Senior forward Du'Vaughn Maxwell (Manhattan, N.Y.) recorded his second double-double of the season, with a team-high 20 points and 12 rebounds while going 7-for-17 from the floor.
 
Sophomore guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) added 12 points, while sophomore guard Breon Key (Hampton, Va.) came off the bench to add a season-high 10 points. Sophomore forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) and senior guard Ramon Mercado (Hollywood, Fla.) each added eight points, and Pressley grabbed seven rebounds.
 
Savannah State (7-12, 5-0 MEAC) is on a five-game winning streak after defeating Florida A&M 79-68 in Tiger Arena on Monday. The Tigers, in their eighth season under head coach Horace Broadnax, were picked to finish sixth in the MEAC this season, receiving a first-place vote.
 
Senior guard Deven Williams is the only Savannah State player scoring in double figures so far this season, averaging 10.4 points per game. Senior forward Jyles Smith is the team's – and the conference's – top rebounder, pulling down 8.1 boards per contest.
 
Hampton is 4-1 all-time against Savannah State, and the Pirates have won each of the last two meetings – including a 71-68 overtime decision in Tiger Arena last season. Prior to that, the two teams met in the quarterfinals of the 2012 MEAC Tournament, when the Pirates upset the top-seeded Tigers 59-46 in Savannah State's first season in the MEAC.
 
Hampton is 2-0 all-time against Savannah State in Savannah, Ga.
 
The Pirates are 211-128 all-time as a Div. I program (since 1995) against teams currently in the MEAC, including an 11-5 mark in the conference last season. The Pirates are 3-1 in the MEAC this season after falling to Morgan State on Monday.
 
The Pirates went 7-8 on the road last season, and they closed out the regular season by winning their last six road contests. During Edward Joyner Jr.'s career as a head coach, Hampton is 22-39 overall in true road games away from the Convocation Center after beating Saint Peter's 64-59 on Nov. 12, falling 71-68 at Quinnipiac on Nov. 20, falling 81-67 at Missouri State on Nov. 24, falling 69-40 at Virginia on Nov. 26, falling 69-67 at Northern Kentucky on Dec. 18, falling 74-61 at North Carolina Central on Jan. 7, and defeating Delaware State 73-60 on Jan. 11.
 
Saturday's contest at Savannah State will be Hampton's second road MEAC game of the season.
 
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.