NORFOLK, Va. – After Wednesday's quarterfinal win over Morgan State, head coach Edward Joyner, Jr. said that he would like to be able to breathe on occasion.
 
The Pirates granted his wish Friday night, running past Savannah State 89-55 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in the semifinal round of the 2016 MEAC Tournament. Top-seeded Hampton, which scored 52 points in the second half and fell one 3-pointer shy of the tournament record, advances to its second straight MEAC championship game.
 
"What a difference the last 20 minutes make," Joyner said. "I thought our first half wasn't bad, but I thought we were pressing a little bit. I guess the hype of the moment, the guys wanted to do it all in one half.
 
"Second half, we felt like we had to relax and win a ball game. This is the best second half I've seen us play this season, both offensively and defensively."
 
This is Hampton's second 20-win season under Joyner.
 
Reginald Johnson, Jr. led four Pirates in double figures with 18 points, while also dishing out a team-high four assists. Quinton Chievous, who along with Johnson was a First Team All-MEAC selection, added 15 points and a team-high 13 boards for his 12th double-double of the season.
 
Brian Darden chipped in 14 points – hitting four of his six 3-pointers – and Lawrence Cooks added 10.
 
The Pirates (20-10) shot a season-best 58.0 percent from the floor – marking the second straight game in which they've shot better than 50 percent. Their 73.3 percent mark from behind the arc is the second-best such percentage in program history.
 
Hampton also went 20-for-23 from the free throw line and dominated the glass, 36-20.
 
Sixteen of Johnson's 18 points came in the first half, a slower affair that saw the Tigers hanging around. Though Hampton led throughout, the lead never got to double digits – and Savannah State cut the lead to three with 1:44 left in the half after a Khalen Pinkett layup made it a 32-29 game.
 
But the Pirates scored the last five points of the half – four free throws from Johnson and another from Chievous – to take a 37-29 lead into the break.
 
Once the second half started, the Pirates took control, shooting 67.9 percent from the floor in the frame. Even when Lenjo Kilo hit a layup to cut the lead to 40-31 at the 18:42 mark, the Pirates wasted no time in responding; Dionte Adams' tip-in 19 seconds later kicked off a 38-9 run – one that saw Hampton take a 78-40 lead with 6:29 remaining after Charles Wilson-Fisher sank a layup.
 
But the Pirates' largest lead of the game came with 2:09 left, after freshman Branden Aughburns hit a pair of free throws. By that point, the starters had long since gone to the bench.
 
All four of Darden's 3-pointers came in the second half.
 
Savannah State, the No. 5 seed, shot 35.8 percent from the floor and was held to 26.9 percent shooting in the second half. The Tigers (16-15) also struggled at the free throw line, hitting just 11 of 17 shots.
 
Christopher Martin led the Tigers with 13 points.
 
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.