Game Notes

BALTIMORE, Md. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will go for its third straight win Monday night, as the Pirates take on Morgan State at 9 p.m. in the Hill Field House live on ESPNU.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (10-14, 6-5 MEAC) outlasted Howard 73-69 in overtime this past Monday at the HU Convocation Center for their second straight win, thanks in large part to 18 points each from junior guards Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) and Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.). Junior guard Reginald Johnson (Chicago, Ill.) added 15 points, while junior forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) and guard Quinton Chievous (Chicago, Ill.) each grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
 
The Series: Hampton is 24-14 against Morgan State, despite losing both of last season's meetings, and the Pirates defeated the Bears 62-58 earlier this season in the Convocation Center. Prior to last season, the Pirates had won four of the last six meetings between the two teams – including a 60-55 win in the championship game of the 2011 MEAC Tournament. Hampton is 8-7 against Morgan State in Baltimore, Md.
 
The Opponent: Morgan State (7-18, 5-6 MEAC), in its ninth season under head coach Todd Bozeman, has won three straight games after a 73-70 win over Norfolk State on Saturday. Junior forward Cedric Blossom leads Morgan State in scoring with 14.8 points per contest, while averaging 6.8 rebounds per contest, while senior guard Blake Bozeman is averaging 12.2 points per game. Center Zech Smith is grabbing a team-high 7.1 rebounds a contest.
 
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: Powers 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 Monday's game against Howard, head coach Edward Joyner Jr. has 92 career wins as a head coach, leaving him eight 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 now holds 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 935 career points after the Pirates' game against Howard, leaving him just 65 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 fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 8.8 points per game after dropping 18 against Howard this past Monday.
 
Meikle Getting His Chance: Redshirt 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 12 times so far this season. His 12.8 points per game lead the team, and Meikle is also averaging a team-best 7.3 rebounds a game, ranking tied for sixth in the MEAC, after grabbing 12 against UMES.

Pressley Crashing the Glass: Pressley 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 5.3 rebounds per game are third on the team after he grabbed eight against Howard this past Monday.
 
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), Brian Darden (Radford), and Jervon 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 14 of the Pirates' first 24 games; Chievous is second on the team in both rebounding (6.3 per game) and scoring (10.8 per game). Johnson dropped a career-high 27 points at NJIT on Feb. 2, before scoring 21 against UMES on Feb. 7 for back-to-back 20-point games.
 
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.