Game Notes

NORFOLK, Va. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will head to Echols Hall on Saturday in search of its fourth straight win, as the Pirates take on Norfolk State in Part Two of the Battle of the Bay, basketball style, at 6 p.m.

The Pirates (18-5, 8-2 MEAC), in their second season under head coach Edward Joyner Jr., won their third straight game on Saturday by beating South Carolina State 64-53 to take over first place in the conference. Junior guard Kwame Morgan II (Largo, Md.) led the Pirates with 14 points, while junior guard Darrion Pellum (Hampton, Va.) added 12 points and five assists, while sophomore forward Koron Reed (Philadelphia, Pa.) came off the bench to score a career-high 10 points.

Norfolk State (7-15, 5-5 MEAC) lost its second straight game on Monday, falling 91-83 at Delaware State. Junior forward Kyle O'Quinn led the Spartans with 21 points and 14 rebounds, while freshman guard Pendarvis Williams added a career-high 18 points. Senior guard Rob Hampton added 14 points, while senior guard Aleek Pauline and junior guard Brandon Wheeless each poured in 13 points.

Hampton is 17-14 against Norfolk State since moving up to Division I in 1995, including a 63-56 win at the HU Convocation Center this past Jan. 15. Hampton had lost four straight to the Spartans before taking a 73-70 win in the quarterfinals of the MEAC Tournament last season. Prior to that win, the Pirates hadn't defeated Norfolk State since sweeping both meetings in 2007-08. The Pirates are 4-9 against Norfolk State at Echols Hall.

The Spartans went 11-19 last season, finishing fourth in the MEAC with a 9-7 mark before falling 73-70 to Hampton in the quarterfinals of the MEAC Tournament. Norfolk State returns four starters and eight letterwinners from last year's squad, and have been picked to finish sixth in the MEAC this season. O'Quinn was a Preseason First Team selection, with Hampton earning Preseason Second Team honors.

O'Quinn leads the Spartans in both scoring and rebounding, averaging a double-double per night with 16.1 points and 10.5 rebounds a contest. Hampton is second on the team in scoring with 15.2 points per contest, while junior guard Chris McEachin is third with 10.4 points a night.

The Spartans are averaging 70.9 points per game on offense, while giving up 77.4 points a night. Norfolk State has given up at least 88 points in each of its last three games.

The Pirates are 5-4 in true road games so far this season, and had won three straight on the road following a season-opening loss at Wake Forest before falling 69-57 at San Francisco. Hampton has beaten Fordham (58-48), George Washington (62-51), High Point (70-64), Coppin State (67-59) and Bethune-Cookman (68-56) on the road. For his head coaching career, Pirates coach Edward Joyner Jr. is 11-12 on the road.

Following Saturday's game, the Pirates will head to Greensboro, N.C. to take on North Carolina A&T at 7 p.m. The game will be televised live on ESPNU. 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.