Game Notes

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will wrap up its Florida trip on Monday, squaring off against the Rattlers of Florida A&M at 8 p.m. in the Al Lawson Center.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (7-8, 3-0 MEAC) got back in the win column on Saturday with a 58-56 win at Bethune-Cookman, which allowed Hampton to remain unbeaten in league play. Junior guard Reginald Johnson (Chicago, Ill.) had his best game as a Pirate, pouring in a season-high 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting, while junior guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) added 12 points off the bench. Guard Quinton Chievous (Chicago, ill.) added nine points and a team-high eight rebounds.
 
The Series: Hampton is 20-11 against Florida A&M, and the Pirates have won each of the last three meetings – including a 72-62 win at the HU Convocation Center last season. The two teams last met in Tallahassee, Fla. in the 2011-12 season, when the Pirates came away with a 74-59 win. Overall, Hampton is 7-6 against Florida A&M on the road.
 
The Opponent: Florida A&M (0-15, 0-2 MEAC) is in its first season under head coach Byron Samuels, and the Rattlers are still in search of their first win of the season after falling 75-51 on Saturday to Norfolk State. Junior guard Jermaine Ruttley leads Florida A&M in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 14.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while freshman guard Jorge Rosa is averaging 10.3 points per contest.
 
Pirates Against the MEAC: Hampton is 225-130 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 went 13-3 in the MEAC last season, finishing second in the final regular-season standings. Since joining the MEAC in 1995, the Pirates have won two regular-season conference titles (2000-01, 2001-02) and four MEAC Tournament crowns (2001, 2002, 2006, 2011).
 
Pirates on the Road: The Pirates went 8-7 in true road contests last season, including a 6-1 mark in conference play. During Edward Joyner Jr.'s career as a head coach, Hampton is 30-48 overall in true road games away from the Convocation Center. Overall, the Pirates have won nine of their last 18 true road games following Saturday's 58-56 win at Bethune-Cookman.
 
Pirates Taking on the Big Boys: The Pirates' game at Illinois on Dec. 17 was the third of three contests this season for the Pirates against teams from the so-called "power conferences." After facing the Hawkeyes on Nov. 14, the Pirates took on ACC foe Syracuse.
 
Pirates Picked to Finish Second: The Pirates, coming off of last season's runner-up finish, were picked to finish second in the MEAC this season, picking up nine first-place votes in the preseason poll voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors. Defending MEAC champion North Carolina Central was picked to repeat as conference champions.
 
Powers, Darden Earn Preseason MEAC Honors: Junior guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) was named Preseason First Team All-MEAC by the league's head coaches and sports information directors, while Darden was a Preseason Third Team All-MEAC selection. Powers was third in the MEAC in free throw percentage, fourth in assists and fifth in assist-turnover ratio last season, while Darden was ninth in the conference in 3-pointers made, averaging 2.0 per contest.
 
Joyner Closing in on 100: Following Saturday's game at Bethune-Cookman, Joyner has 89 career wins as a head coach, leaving him 11 shy of 100. If the Pirates match last season's win total, Joyner – in his sixth season at the helm – will reach that mark this season. Only two coaches in Hampton history have won at least 100 games with the school: Malcolm Avery (140 wins, 1987-95) and Hank Ford (228 wins, 1975-87). Joyner is two wins shy of the all-time program Div. I wins record; Steve Merfeld (1997-2002) won 90 games with the Pirates.
 
Powers Closing in on a Milestone: Powers is sitting on 870 career points after the Pirates' contest at USC Upstate, leaving him just 130 points shy of the 1,000-point mark for his career. Powers, the 2012-13 MEAC Rookie of the Year, would be the 27th Pirate to ever reach that mark – and the first since Darrion Pellum reached the mark in the 2011-12 season. Powers scored 366 points last season, ranking second on the team with 11.8 points per game, and he ended the 2013-14 season by scoring in double figures in six of his last seven games – including three straight 20-point efforts from Feb. 24-March 6.
 
Darden Looking for More: Darden was third on the team in scoring last season, averaging 10.4 points per game, and he ended the season on a high note with a career-high 22 points at Penn State in the first round of the CBI. He averaged 2.0 made 3-pointers per game in 2013-14, ranking ninth in the MEAC. Darden, who shot 32.6 percent (63-for-193) from 3-point range last season, was named Preseason Third Team All-MEAC, and he comes into this season as the Pirates' best option from long distance. He had 10 points in the Pirates' opener at Iowa, before pouring in 18 points in the Pirates' win over Alcorn State. He is third on the team in scoring, averaging 9.3 points per game after pouring in 12 points at Bethune-Cookman.
 
Meikle Getting His Chance: Junior guard/forward Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) shot just over 48 percent from the floor last season, en route to averaging 5.8 points per game. The redshirt junior scored in double figures seven times in 2013-14, tying his then-career high with 16 points against Winthrop on Dec. 29, 2013. He also showed flashes on defense, blocking 13 shots on the season – including a career-high six at Virginia back on Nov. 26, 2013. He led three Pirates in double figures at Iowa with 14 points, and he has scored in double figures eight times so far this season. His 12.1 points per game lead the team after he dropped 18 points at Northern Illinois. Meikle is also averaging a team-best 7.5 rebounds a game.

Pressley Crashing the Glass: Junior forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) was second on the team in rebounds last season, despite playing in just 21 games. He averaged 5.1 boards per contest in 2013-14, grabbing a career-high 12 boards at Maryland Eastern Shore on Feb. 24 – while also scoring 12 points for his lone double-double of the season. Pressley also scored in double figures four times last season, including a career-high 16 points at Coppin State on Feb. 1. Pressley grabbed at least one rebound in 20 of the 21 games in which he played last season. Pressley grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds on Dec. 8 against Morgan State, and his 4.5 rebounds per game are third on the team.
 
New Faces, Plenty of Experience: Two Hampton newcomers already have Div. I experience: Chievous has seen significant playing time with Tennessee, and Johnson comes to the Pirates after time at Miami (Ohio). Chievous was a career 45.3-percent shooter (24-for-53) with the Volunteers, while Johnson averaged 8.4 points per game as a freshman at Miami (Ohio). In all, five players on this year's roster transferred to Hampton from other Div. I programs: Chievous, Johnson, Breon Key (Old Dominion), Darden (Radford), and Pressley (Towson). Chievous scored 12 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds in his Hampton debut at Iowa, before dropping a team-high 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting on Nov. 16 at Syracuse. He has scored in double figures in 11 of the Pirates' first 15 games following his 15-point, 12-rebound performance against Tennessee State; Chievous is second on the team in rebounding (7.4 per game) and scoring (11.5 per game).
 
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.