Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will play the second of four straight home games on Monday, squaring off against South Carolina State in the HU Convocation Center at 7 p.m.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (11-7, 7-0 MEAC) remained unbeaten in MEAC play this past Saturday with a 75-52 win over Savannah State at the Convocation Center. Four Pirates scored in double figures, led by Quinton Chievous' 26 points and 16 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the season. Lawrence Cooks came off the bench to add 15 points, while Brian Darden (13 points) and Akim Mitchell (a season-high 10 points) were also in double figures.
 
The Series: Since moving to Div. I in 1995, the Pirates are 20-18 against South Carolina State, despite last season's 65-56 loss in Orangeburg, S.C. Prior to last season, Hampton had won four straight meetings between the two teams, and the Pirates are 10-6 against the Bulldogs at home.
 
Pirates Against the MEAC: Hampton is 241-138 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. So far this season, Hampton is a perfect 7-0 in conference play. 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 46-31 in home games after a 75-52 win over Savannah State 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. Each of the Pirates' next four games will be at home.
 
Scouting the Bulldogs: South Carolina State (10-11, 5-2 MEAC), entering its third full season under head coach Murray Garvin, had a five-game winning streak snapped on Saturday with an 87-74 loss at Norfolk State. Junior guard Eric Eaves leads three Bulldogs in double figures with 16.3 points per game, while sophomore guard Ed Stephens is averaging 14.0 points per game and senior swing player Gabriel McCray is averaging 11.5 points per contest. Senior center Daryll Palmer is the team's top rebounder, averaging 5.8 boards a game.
 
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 109-103, 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 Chievous (First Team), Darden (Second Team), and Jervon Pressley (Third Team) – as well as Dwight Meikle, who led the Pirates in both scoring and rebounding in 2014-15. Reginald Johnson, Jr., 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.
 
A Triple Threat: Prior to the game at North Carolina Central on Jan. 18, Hampton was one of just four Div. I programs in which three players are averaging at least 15 points per contest, joining St. Bonaventure, Eastern Washington, and Arkansas. Darden is now just below that threshold after the Savannah State game, averaging 14.6 points per contest, while Chievous is averaging 17.5 points per game and Johnson is averaging 17.1 points per contest. Altogether, the trio accounts for 46.3 points per contest.
 
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 nine double-doubles in his last 19 games, and he had 26 points and 16 rebounds against Savannah State. Chievous leads the team in rebounding (a MEAC-best 10.2 per game) and scoring at 17.5 points a contest (which ranks second in the MEAC).
 
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 fourth in the MEAC in scoring (17.1 ppg) after pouring in 27 points in a win at North Carolina Central. Johnson has scored in double figures in 14 of his last 17 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 10th in the MEAC in scoring, averaging 14.6 points per game.
 
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.