Game Notes

DOVER, Del. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will look to bounce back on the road on Saturday, resuming conference play against Delaware State at Memorial Hall at 4 p.m.

The Pirates (7-8, 2-0 MEAC) fell 74-61 at North Carolina Central in their non-conference finale on Tuesday, despite a career-high 20 points from sophomore guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.). Sophomore guard Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) came off the bench to add 14 points and grab a team-high seven rebounds.

Hampton struggled from the floor, shooting just 27.0 percent (including a 21.2 percent clip in the second half), but cut NCCU's lead to 66-61 with just over a minute to play before the Eagles put the game away with an 8-0 run.

Delaware State (4-10, 0-2 MEAC) has won its last two games, after enduring a five-game losing streak, and Saturday's 70-60 win at Campbell was the 200th win for head coach Greg Jackson at the school. The Hornets were picked to finish seventh in the MEAC this season, and senior guard Casey Walker leads the team in scoring, averaging 12.5 points per game.

Junior forward Tyshawn Bell is second on the team with 10.6 points per game, while junior guard Kendal Williams and junior center Kendall Gray each average 10.3 points a night. Gray is also averaging a team-best 6.3 rebounds per contest.

Hampton is 19-16 against Delaware State, and the Pirates took two out of three meetings against the Hornets last season – though Delaware State's lone win was a 63-60 defeat in the quarterfinals of the MEAC Tournament. Overall, the Pirates have won five of the last eight meetings with the Hornets, and Hampton is 7-8 against Delaware State in Dover, Del.

Hampton is 210-126 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 are 2-0 in the MEAC this season, thanks to wins over Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman last month.

Since joining the MEAC in 1995, the Pirates have won two regular-season conference titles (2000-01, 2001-02) and four MEAC Tournament crowns (2001, 2002, 2006, 2011).

The Pirates went 7-8 on the road last season, and they closed out the regular season by winning their last six road contests. During Edward Joyner Jr.'s career as a head coach, Hampton is 21-39 overall in true road games away from the Convocation Center after beating Saint Peter's 64-59 on Nov. 12, falling 71-68 at Quinnipiac on Nov. 20, falling 81-67 at Missouri State on Nov. 24, falling 69-40 at Virginia on Nov. 26, falling 69-67 at Northern Kentucky on Dec. 18, and falling 74-61 at North Carolina Central this past Tuesday.

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.