Game Notes

NORFOLK, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will open its 2015 MEAC Tournament in the first round on Monday in the Norfolk Scope Arena, as the No. 6 seed Pirates square off against No. 11 seed Morgan State at 9 p.m.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (12-17) closed the regular season with an 80-69 loss to Norfolk State at the HU Convocation Center, despite 24 points and eight rebounds from redshirt junior guard/forward Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.), who went 10-for-16 from the floor. Junior guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) added 12 points, seven rebounds, and a team-high seven assists, while junior guard Reginald Johnson (Chicago, Ill.) chipped in 11 points.
 
The Series: Hampton is 25-14 against Morgan State, despite losing both of last season's meetings, and the Pirates swept this season's meetings – including a 93-65 win over the Bears in Baltimore, Md. on Feb. 16. 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.
 
The Opponent: Morgan State (7-23), in its ninth season under head coach Todd Bozeman, ended the regular season on a five-game losing streak after falling 89-76 to Maryland Eastern Shore this past Thursday. Junior forward Cedric Blossom leads the Bears in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 14.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Senior guard Blake Bozeman is the only other Bear to average in double figures, averaging 12.1 points per contest.
 
Pirates Against the MEAC: Hampton is 230-138 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 1-1 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. Hampton went 1-3 on neutral courts last season, and during head coach Edward Joyner Jr.'s tenure, the Pirates are 17-12 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 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 the Pirates' regular season finale against Norfolk State, head coach Edward Joyner Jr. has 94 career wins as a head coach, leaving him six 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 this past Thursday 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 the regular season, Powers has 1,005 career points, and he was a Third Team All-MEAC selection this season. The 2013 MEAC Rookie of the Year leads the MEAC in assist/turnover ratio (2.3), while ranking second in free throw percentage (.850) and fifth in assists (3.8).
 
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 9.1 points per game, and he dropped a career-high 23 points at Morgan State on Feb. 16.
 
Meikle Getting His Chance: Meikle 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 13.2 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: 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 5.1 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 junior guard R eginald Johnson (Chicago, Ill.) 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 (6.5 per game) and third in 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. Johnson, who is averaging 11.0 points per game, has scored in double figures in six of his last eight 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.