Game Notes

DURHAM, N.C. – The Hampton University men's basketball team will be on ESPNU Monday night, as the Pirates square off against defending MEAC regular-season champion North Carolina Central at 9 p.m. in the McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 
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Last Time Out: The Pirates (9-7, 5-0 MEAC) picked up their fourth straight win on Saturday, defeating North Carolina A&T 79-62 in Greensboro, N.C. Reginald Johnson, Jr. led three Pirates with 29 points on 11-for-20 shooting, while also setting career highs in rebounds (nine) and assists (seven). Brian Darden added 17 points, hitting four 3-pointers, and Quinton Chievous chipped in 10 points and six boards.
 
The Series: Since moving to Div. I in 1995, the Pirates are 0-4 against North Carolina Central, and the Eagles are one of just two MEAC teams against whom Hampton does not have a winning record. The Eagles defeated Hampton 59-52 in the Convocation Center last season, and this will be the Pirates' second trip to Durham, N.C.; their first came in the 2013-14 season, when Central won 74-61.
 
Pirates Against the MEAC: Hampton is 239-138 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. So far this season, Hampton is a perfect 5-0 in conference play. 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 on the Road: The Pirates were 5-11 on the road last season, despite winning two out of their last three true road contests. In 2014-15, Hampton was 1-7 in true road contests in non-conference play, with that win coming on Dec. 2 of last season at Tennessee State. During Edward Joyner Jr.'s tenure as head coach the Pirates are 40-58 on the road after a 79-62 win over North Carolina A&T this past Saturday.
 
Scouting the Eagles: North Carolina Central (7-12, 2-3 MEAC), in its seventh season under head coach LeVelle Moton, has lost four of its last six games after an 88-79 loss to Norfolk State this past Saturday. The Eagles, preseason favorites to win the MEAC, are led by redshirt junior guard Patrick Cole's 18.2 points per game. Two other Eagles are scoring in double figures this season: redshirt senior guard Dante Holmes (13.4 ppg) and senior guard Jeremiah Ingram (10.7 ppg). Ingram is also averaging a team-high 6.5 boards 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. 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 107-103, 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.
 
A Triple Threat: Hampton is one of just four Div. I programs in which three players are averaging at least 15 points per contest, joining St. Bonaventure, Eastern Washington, and Arkansas. Johnson is averaging 16.9 points per game, with Chievous adding 16.8 points per game and Darden chipping in 15.1 points per contest. Altogether, the trio accounts for 45.6 points per contest.
 
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 eight double-doubles in his last 17 games, and he had 28 points and 18 rebounds at Morgan State. Chievous leads the team in rebounding (a MEAC-best 10.4 per game) and is second on the team in scoring at 16.8 points a contest (which ranks fourth in the MEAC).
 
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 leads the team and third in the MEAC in scoring (16.9 ppg) after pouring in 29 points in Saturday's win over North Carolina A&T. Johnson has scored in double figures in 13 of his last 15 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 tied for eighth in the MEAC in scoring, averaging 15.1 points per game.
 
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's second double-double of the season, which came on Saturday against Bethune-Cookman, saw him record career highs in points (17) and rebounds (15). Pressley's 6.2 rebounds 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.