Game Notes

NORFOLK, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will continue its MEAC title defense in the semifinal round on Friday at Norfolk Scope Arena, taking on No. 5 seed Savannah State at 6 p.m.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (19-10) defeated No. 9 Morgan State 83-81 in the MEAC Tournament quarterfinals on Wednesday. Reginald Johnson, Jr. led four Pirates in double figures with 19 points, which also dishing out a career-high and MEAC Tournament record-tying 13 assists. Quinton Chievous added 17 points and nine rebounds, while Brian Darden had 14 points. Jervon Pressley came off the bench to add 10 points and five boards.
 
The Series: Since moving to Div. I in 1995, the Pirates are 6-2 against Savannah State, despite last season's 68-66 loss in Savannah, Ga. Prior to last season, Hampton had won five out of six meetings between the two teams, including a MEAC Tournament quarterfinal matchup in 2012 (where the Tigers were the top seed). Hampton defeated the Tigers 75-52 in the Convocation Center during the regular season.
 
Pirates Against the MEAC: Hampton is 248-141 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. Hampton went 13-3 in conference play this season, clinching the regular season title. Since joining the MEAC in 1995, the Pirates have won three regular-season conference titles (2000-01, 2001-02, 2015-16) and five MEAC Tournament crowns (2001, 2002, 2006, 2011, 2015).
 
Pirates on Neutral Courts: The Pirates were 6-2 on neutral courts last season, including four wins in the MEAC Tournament and a win over Manhattan in the NCAA Tournament's First Four. Hampton is 24-14 on neutral courts under head coach Edward Joyner Jr., including an 8-1 mark in 2010-11 – when the Pirates won 24 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
 
Scouting the Tigers: Savannah State (16-14), in its 11th season under head coach Horace Broadnax, has won three straight and nine of their last 10 after defeating No. 4 seed Bethune-Cookman 57-50 in the MEAC Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday night. Troyce Manassa is the team's leading scorer, averaging 12.8 points per game, while Christopher Martin is averaging 12.1 points a contest. Lenjo Kilo is the team's leading rebounder, grabbing 5.7 per contest.
 
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, but the Pirates have clinched the regular-season title, their first since 2002, with a 79-65 win over Delaware State on Feb. 29.
 
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 118-106, Joyner is already Hampton's all-time winningest Div. I coach, having surpasses Steve Merfield last season.
 
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.