Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will be home again on Monday, squaring off against Florida A&M at 7 p.m. in the HU Convocation Center as they look to remain unbeaten in MEAC play.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (7-7, 3-0 MEAC) staged another comeback on Saturday, erasing a 10-point second-half deficit to beat Bethune-Cookman 75-70 to remain unbeaten in conference play. Reginald Johnson, Jr. poured in a team-high 18 points for the Pirates, while Jervon Pressley had a career night, setting career highs in points (17) and rebounds (15). Brian Darden also had 17 points, hitting three 3-pointers.
 
The Series: Since moving to Div. I in 1995, the Pirates are 21-11 against Florida A&M, and Hampton has won the last four meetings between the two teams. Overall, the Pirates have won 15 of the last 23 meetings between the two teams dating back to 2001-02. Hampton is 12-3 against Florida A&M at home.
 
Pirates Against the MEAC: Hampton is 237-138 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 last season, winding up sixth in the standings before winning four games in six days to take the MEAC Tournament championship. Since joining the MEAC in 1995, the Pirates have won two regular-season conference titles (2000-01, 2001-02) and five MEAC Tournament crowns (2001, 2002, 2006, 2011, 2015).
 
Pirates at Home: The Pirates were 6-5 at home last season, and in their first six-plus seasons under head coach Edward Joyner Jr., the Pirates are 44-31 in home games after a 75-70 win over Bethune-Cookman this past Saturday. Hampton's best season at home under Joyner came in 2013-14, when the Pirates went 9-3 at the Convocation Center.
 
Scouting the Rattlers: Florida A&M (5-11, 1-2 MEAC), in its third season under head coach Byron Samuels, has lost seven of its last nine games after falling 77-56 at Norfolk State this past Saturday. Junior forward Malcolm Bernard leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest. He is the only FAMU player averaging in double figures this season.
 
Pirates Picked to Finish Second: The Pirates, coming off of last season's MEAC Tournament championship, 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. The Eagles won the MEAC regular season title in 2014-15, while Hampton wound up sixth in the standings with an 8-8 mark in league play.
 
Joyner Reached 100: Entering his seventh season at the helm, Joyner was one win shy of 100 for his career. But when the Pirates defeated American on Nov. 17, he picked up the 100th win of his career as a head coach. The Pirates won 17 games under Joyner last season, and in his six-plus seasons in charge, Hampton has made three postseason appearances – including two NCAA Tournament appearances in 2011 and 2015. At 106-103, Joyner is already Hampton's all-time winningest Div. I coach, having surpasses Steve Merfield last season.
 
Plenty of Familiar Faces: The Pirates come into 2015-16 off of their fifth-ever MEAC Tournament championship, and many of the players who helped Hampton make that run last season are back for more. There are 10 returners in total for the Pirates this season, led by Preseason All-MEAC honorees Quinton Chievous (First Team), Darden (Second Team), and Pressley (Third Team) – as well as Dwight Meikle, who led the Pirates in both scoring and rebounding in 2014-15. Johnson, who was named to the MEAC's All-Tournament Team last season, also returns, as does Charles Wilson-Fisher – who contributed big minutes during the MEAC Tournament.
 
Chievous Making His Presence Felt: Chievous, the Tennessee transfer, made his presence felt for the Pirates last season, especially once the MEAC Tournament started. Chievous had three double-doubles in the last four games of the year, including both NCAA Tournament games. Before that, though, he turned in a bull-in-a-china-shop-esque 23-point, 12-rebound effort in the MEAC Tournament semifinals against Norfolk State. Chievous, who was second in rebounding and third in scoring on the team in 2014-15, was named Preseason First Team All-MEAC heading into the 2015-16 campaign. He opened the 2015-16 season in style on Nov. 14, dropping a career-high 29 points and grabbing a career-best 23 rebounds at Winthrop. Dating back to last season, Chievous has seven double-doubles in his last 15 games, and he had 28 points and 18 rebounds at Morgan State. Chievous leads the team in both scoring (17.8 ppg, third in the MEAC) and rebounding (a MEAC-best 10.8 rpg).
 
Johnson Lit it Up: Johnson, a transfer from Miami (Ohio), was second on the team in scoring last season – despite not playing his first game until Dec. 17 at Illinois. He averaged almost 12 points a game last season, scoring in double figures 14 times in 26 games. His career high of 27 points came at NJIT last season, and Johnson added 21 points in the next game against UMES. Johnson dropped 20 points in the MEAC Tournament championship game against Delaware State, earning MEAC All-Tournament Team honors, and also had 15 points in Hampton's win over Manhattan in the NCAA Tournament's First Four. He poured in 19 points in Hampton's 61-48 win at American, and he dropped a career-high 35 points in a double-overtime win at Northern Arizona. Johnson is second on the team and sixth in the MEAC in scoring (15.8 ppg). Johnson has scored in double figures in 11 of his last 13 games.
 
Darden Looking for More: Darden was fifth on the team in scoring last season, just shy of averaging 10 points a contest (9.8). On top of being second in the MEAC in free throw percentage (.845), Darden was ninth in the conference in 3-pointers per game. The MEAC Tournament's top 3-point shooter had a career-high 23 points at Morgan State back on Feb. 16, going 6-for-7 from behind the arc, and he had 20 points in the championship game of the MEAC Tournament against Delaware State. Darden comes into 2015-16 as a Preseason Second Team All-MEAC selection, and he had 13 points at Winthrop, and he scored 22 at Northern Arizona. Darden is third on the team and eighth in the MEAC in scoring, averaging 15.2 points per game.
 
Pressley Crashing the Glass: Pressley was third on the team in rebounding last season, averaging 4.8 boards per contest. He was also seventh in the MEAC in blocks (1.4 bpg). He also averaged 6.1 points per game, scoring in double figures four times. Against Manhattan in the NCAA Tournament's First Four, Pressley provided valuable minutes in pouring in eight points and grabbing four rebounds. His size and presence inside is one reason Pressley was a Preseason Third Team All-MEAC selection. He had his first double-double of the season (11 points, 10 rebounds) against Appalachian State. He also had a career-high six blocks in that game. Pressley's second double-double of the season, which came on Saturday against Bethune-Cookman, saw him record career highs in points (17) and rebounds (15). Pressley's 6.3 rebounds per game are second on the team.
 
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.