Hampton Pirates to take on Radford at Home

HAMPTON, Virginia  -- The Hampton University men's basketball team will go for its second straight win on Saturday, as the Pirates play host to the Highlanders of Radford at 4 p.m. at the HU Convocation Center.

The Pirates (6-7) snapped a two-game skid back on Dec. 29 with a 101-95 double-overtime win over Winthrop at the HU Convocation Center, marking the first time since 2006 that Hampton scored 100 or more points in a game.

Senior forward Du'Vaughn Maxwell (Manhattan, N.Y.) led five Pirates in double figures with 20 points to go along with 10 rebounds, while sophomore guard Brian Darden (Hampton, Va.), a Radford transfer, added a career-high 19 points.

Sophomore guard Dwight Meikle (Baltimore, Md.) added 16 points, while sophomore guard Deron Powers (Williamsburg, Va.) chipped in 13 points and redshirt-freshman guard Lawrence Cooks (Charlotte, N.C.) added 12 points.

Radford (10-4) is riding a four-game winning streak after defeating The Citadel 76-59 at home on Thursday night, and the Highlanders are in their third season under head coach Mike Jones. Radford is a young team, with 10 underclassmen and just one senior on the squad.

Junior forward Javonte Green was a Preseason Second Team All-Big South selection, and he currently leads the Highlanders in both scoring (17.1 points per game) and rebounding (6.7 boards per contest). Junior guard R.J. Price is the only other player averaging double figures in scoring, pouring in 14.2 points a night.

Hampton is 2-3 against Radford, and the two teams met last season – with Radford coming away with a 73-64 win on its home court. The Pirates won back-to-back meetings in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons; the 2004-05 matchup came on a neutral court, and the Pirates beat Radford at the Convocation Center in 2005-06. Radford has made two previous trips to the HU Convocation Center, splitting those two games.

Hampton is 13-11 all-time against schools currently in the Big South Conference, including a 70-53 loss to Liberty earlier this season in the Corpus Christi Challenge on Nov. 29 and a 101-95 double-overtime win over Winthrop on Dec. 29.

The Pirates are 0-1 against Campbell; 1-0 against Charleston Southern; 1-1 against Coastal Carolina; 2-0 against High Point; 2-3 against Liberty; 3-1 against Longwood; 2-3 against Radford; and 2-2 against Winthrop.

The Pirates have never faced Gardner-Webb, Presbyterian, UNC Asheville, or VMI.

The Pirates went 7-8 at the HU Convocation Center last season, even though they won three of their last five home contests. During Edward Joyner Jr.'s career as a head coach, Hampton is 31-23 overall in the Convocation Center, and the Pirates are 4-1 at home this season after beating Winthrop on Dec. 29.

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.

COURTESY HAMPTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS