Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will return home on Saturday, looking to snap a six-game losing streak as the Pirates take on Maryland Eastern Shore at 6 p.m. in the HU Convocation Center.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (8-14, 4-5 MEAC) fell 86-67 at NJIT this past Monday, despite a career-high 27 points from junior guard Reginald Johnson (Chicago, Ill.). Johnson, who went 10-for-17 from the floor and hit five 3-pointers, led four Pirates in double figures; guard Quinton Chievous (Chicago, Ill.), junior guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.), and junior forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) each added 11 points. Pressley also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
 
The Series: The Pirates are 24-6 against Maryland Eastern Shore since moving up to Div. I in 1995, and Hampton has won each of the last eight meetings – including a series sweep last season that included a 104-89 win in Princess Anne, Md. Overall, the Pirates are 15-2 against UMES at home, and the Pirates have won each of the last 13 meetings between the two teams in Hampton, Va.
 
The Opponent: Maryland Eastern Shore (13-11, 6-3 MEAC), in its first season under head coach Bobby Collins – who once manned the sidelines at Hampton – had a three-game winning streak snapped this past Monday with an 83-74 loss at Howard. Three Hawks are averaging in double figures, led by senior forward Michael Myers, who is averaging 15.4 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game. Junior guard Devin Martin is averaging 13.0 points per contest, and senior guard Devon Walker is averaging 10.0 points per game.
 
Pirates at Home: During Edward Joyner Jr.'s career as a head coach, Hampton is 40-28 overall in the Convocation Center, and the Pirates were 9-3 at home last season. Overall, the Pirates have won eight of their last 11 home games following a 59-52 loss to North Carolina Central on Jan. 19.
 
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 junior guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) 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 at NJIT, Joyner has 90 career wins as a head coach, leaving him 10 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 now tied for 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 906 career points after the Pirates' game at NJIT, leaving him just 94 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 8.7 points per game after his 14-point performance at South Carolina State.
 
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 13.0 points per game lead the team after he dropped 26 against the Eagles on Jan. 19. Meikle is also averaging a team-best 7.4 rebounds a game after grabbing nine at South Carolina State.

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 5.2 rebounds per game are third on the team after he grabbed 11 at Norfolk State.
 
New Faces, Plenty of Experience: Two Hampton newcomers already have Div. I experience: guard Quinton Chievous (Chicago, Ill.) 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 14 of the Pirates' first 22 games; Chievous is second on the team in both rebounding (6.4 per game) and scoring (11.3 per game). Johnson dropped a career-high 27 points on Monday at NJIT.
 
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.