HU hopes MEAC run carries over into next season

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- Standing in front of the Hampton men's locker room after the Pirates' 81-72 loss to Bethune-Cookman in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference semifinals on Friday night, HU coach Ed Joyner said to no one in particular, "It's on me."

"All wins are theirs," said Joyner, whose third year ended with a 12-21 record after his players made a surprise tournament run. "All losses are mine. I've got to digest it, I got to figure out what we did wrong, I've got to figure out what we've got to do to improve, and then I've got to go improve this team next year.

"I'll take the loss. They fought for it." HU showed that fight in trying to defend the MEAC tournament championship it won last year, beating Morgan State 59-55 in Tuesday's first round before knocking off top seed and regular-season champion Savannah State, 59-46, in Wednesday's quarterfinals.

In that game, the Pirates held the Tigers to 27 percent shooting while getting 16 points from senior guard Christopher Tolson and eight points and eight blocks from senior forward Danny Agbelese in a display of team chemistry missing at times from a difficult 2011-12 season.

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