Game Notes

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will return to the HU Convocation Center on Saturday evening, squaring off against the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman at 6 p.m.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (6-7, 2-0 MEAC) staged a late comeback en route to an 83-80 overtime win over Morgan State on the road on Wednesday. Quinton Chievous recorded his fourth double-double of the season with 28 points and 18 rebounds, while Brian Darden poured in 23 points on the strength of five 3-pointers and an 8-for-11 effort at the free throw line. Kalin Fisher added a season-high 14 points, while Reginald Johnson, Jr. poured in 13 points and dished out four assists.
 
The Series: Since moving to Div. I in 1995, the Pirates are 20-11 against Bethune-Cookman and have won each of the last three meetings – including a 58-56 win in Daytona Beach, Fla. last season. Prior to this stretch, the Wildcats had won three straight over Hampton, though the Pirates have won 18 of the last 24 meetings between the two teams dating back to the 1999-2000 season. The Pirates are 9-5 against Bethune-Cookman at home.
 
Pirates Against the MEAC: Hampton is 236-138 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 43-31 in home games after an 89-59 loss to Princeton this past Sunday. Hampton's best season at home under Joyner came in 2013-14, when the Pirates went 9-3 at the Convocation Center. Sunday's game against Princeton will be Hampton's first home game since that App State contest.
 
Scouting the Wildcats: Bethune-Cookman (4-11, 1-0 MEAC), in its sixth season under head coach Gravelle Craig, has lost seven in a row following a 74-53 loss to Grand Canyon this past Sunday. Redshirt-junior guard Jordan Potts is the team's leading scorer, averaging 16.5 points per game, while redshirt-senior forward Mario Moody is averaging 11.5 points and 7.3 boards per contest – ranking second on the team in both categories. Redshirt-junior forward LaRon Smith is the team's top rebounder, averaging 7.5 rebounds per 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 105-103, 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. 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 14 games after a 28-point, 18-rebound performance at Morgan State. Chievous leads the team in both scoring (18.8 ppg, second in the MEAC) and rebounding (a MEAC-best 11.1 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 seventh in the MEAC in scoring (15.6 ppg). Johnson has scored in double figures in 10 of his last 12 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 ninth in the MEAC in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game after a season-high 23-point performance at Morgan State.
 
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 grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds at Northern Arizona, and his 5.5 boards 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.