Game Notes

NORFOLK, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will compete in the semifinals of the 2015 MEAC Tournament on Friday, taking on rival Norfolk State, the No. 2 seed, at 8 p.m. in the Norfolk Scope Arena.
 
Live Video: ESPN3.
Radio: WHOV 88.1 FM.
 
Last Time Out: The Pirates (14-17) upset No. 3 seed Maryland Eastern Shore 76-71 in the quarterfinal round on Thursday, thanks to 23 points from junior guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.), who hit five 3-pointers. Junior guard Reginald Johnson (Chicag, Ill.) added 15 points, hitting four 3-pointers, while junior guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.) and junior forward Jervon Pressley (Charlotte, N.C.) each chipped in 12 points. Redshirt freshman forward Charles Wilson-Fisher (Los Angeles, Calif.) grabbed a team- and career-high 10 rebounds.
 
The Series: Since moving to Div. I in 1995, the Pirates are 21-20 against Norfolk State after sweeping both of last season's meetings – even though the Spartans swept this season's two match-ups, including a 63-60 win on Jan. 31 in Echols Hall and an 80-69 win in the HU Convocation Center on March 5. Overall, the Spartans have won six of the last eight meetings.
 
The Opponent: Norfolk State (20-12), in its second season under head coach Robert Jones, is the No. 2 seed in this year's MEAC Tournament and is coming off a 68-54 win in the quarterfinals over South Carolina State. Redshirt junior guard Jeff Short leads the Spartans in scoring, averaging 19.5 points per game to rank second in the MEAC, while junior forward RaShid Gaston is averaging 15.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per contest, ranking second in the conference in rebounding. Junior guard D'Shon Taylor is averaging 12.9 points per game.
 
Pirates Against the MEAC: Hampton is 232-138 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 8-8 in the MEAC this season, winding up sixth in the 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 Neutral Courts: The Pirates are 3-1 on neutral courts so far this season, including an 82-69 win over Alcorn State back on Nov. 21 as part of the 2K Classic, Monday's 91-71 first-round win over Morgan State, and Thursday's 76-71 quarterfinal win over Maryland Eastern Shore. Hampton went 1-3 on neutral courts last season, and during head coach Edward Joyner Jr.'s tenure, the Pirates are 19-12 on neutral courts – including an 8-1 mark during the 2010-11 season.
 
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.
 
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 the Pirates' quarterfinal win over UMES on Thursday, Joyner has 96 career wins as a head coach, leaving him four shy of 100. 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 Reached a Milestone: With 12 points on March 5 against Norfolk State, Powers became the 27th player in program history – and the first since Darrion Pellum – to reach the 1,000-point mark for his career. After dropping 23 points in the quarterfinals of the MEAC Tournament, Powers has 1,046 career points, and he was a Third Team All-MEAC selection this season. The 2013 MEAC Rookie of the Year led the MEAC in assist/turnover ratio (2.3), while ranking second in free throw percentage (.850) and fifth in assists (3.8) during the regular season.
 
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 fifth on the team in scoring, averaging 9.4 points per game after dropping 12 points in Thursday's quarterfinal win over UMES.
 
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 17 times so far this season. His 13.0 points per game lead the team after a 24-point effort on Thursday against Norfolk State, and Meikle is also averaging a team-best 7.5 rebounds a game, ranking fifth in the MEAC, after grabbing eight against the Spartans.
 
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 5.0 rebounds per game are third on the team.
 
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 18 games; Chievous is second on the team in rebounding (6.0 per game) and fourth in scoring (9.9 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. Johnson, who is averaging 11.5 points per game, has scored in double figures in seven of his last 10 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.