Men's Basketball | 12/7/2014 1:17:00 PM
BALTIMORE – The Coppin State men's basketball team completes its three-game road swing by visiting Norfolk State in a MEAC contest at Echols Arena Monday night. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m.
RECENT SERIES HISTORY: This is the first of two meetings this season between Coppin State and Norfolk State. The Spartans won both meetings last season. Norfolk State will visit the Eagles on Sat. Feb. 21.
LAST TIME OUT: Taariq Cephas and
Arnold Fripp combined for 25 points during Coppin State's 71-52 setback to Hampton in its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men's basketball opener at the HU Convocation Center Saturday night. Cephas led the Eagles (1-6 overall, 0-1 MEAC) with 13 points. Fripp added 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field. Cephas and Fripp each made two 3-pointers for the Eagles.
Jahvari Josiah contributed nine points and five rebounds for the Eagles.
Daquan Brickhouse, who missed Wednesday's game at Towson, finished with eight points.
Sterling Smith led the Eagles with six rebounds for the second straight game. Hampton took control of the game with a 15-3 run to begin the second half over a nine-minute stretch that turned its 33-29 halftime lead into a 48-32 lead.
A LOOK AT NORFOLK STATE: Led by the junior tandem of Jeff Short and RaShid Gaston, the Norfolk State men's basketball team opened up MEAC play on Saturday evening with an 85-65 victory over Morgan State at Joseph Echols Hall. Short hit 9-of-10 from the field for a game-high 24 points, while Gaston tallied his fourth straight double-double (20 points, 12 rebounds) on 8-of-12 shooting. NSU scored a season high in points thanks to a 31-of-49 effort (63.3 percent) from the floor. The win moved NSU's overall record to 5-4 and 1-0 in the MEAC. For the third game in a row, the Spartans had a big edge in points in the paint, this time outscoring MSU 44-24. Norfolk State has won three of its last four games. The Spartans have four players averaging double figures: Short (17.0 ppg.), Gaston (15.0, 8.0 rebounds per game), Malik Thomas (12.9) and D'Shon Taylor (10.8).
FOUR SCORE: In a unique occurrence,
Christian Kessee has had consecutive four-point plays in two games this week against Goldey Beacom (Mon. Dec. 1) and Towson (Wed., Dec. 3). Coppin State didn't have one four-point play last season.
WILD WEEKEND: It was an interesting weekend for two of Coppin State's future opponents. Connecticut lost to Yale, 45-44 on Friday and 17th-ranked Michigan lost to New Jersey Institute of Technology, 73-71. Coppin State visits UConn on Sunday, Dec. 14 and Michigan on Monday, Dec. 22.
BUSY EAGLES: Coppin State is in a stretch where it's playing five games in 10 days and four in seven. The Eagles conclude this tough stretch with a home game against Hofstra on Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Eagles are finishing a three-game road trip to Towson, Hampton and Norfolk State. This is Coppin's second road trip in the opening two months of three or more games. Overall, Coppin State plays 13 of its first 16 games on the road this season. The Eagles won't play consecutive home games until Jan. 17 & 19 when they host Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M. Following Wednesday's home game against Hofstra, CSU begins another four-game road trip to Connecticut, Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Evansville.
UP NEXT: Coppin State plays its second home game of the season when it hosts Hofstra Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.
