NORFOLK, Va. –
Taariq Cephas scored a season-high 16 points during an 88-69 loss to Norfolk State in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men's basketball game at Echols Hall Monday night.
Cephas was 8-for-15 from the field.
Arnold Fripp and
Sterling Smith added 15 points each for Coppin State (1-7 overall, 0-2 MEAC).
Fripp also led the Eagles with nine rebounds.
Christian Kessee contributed eight points. He made two 3-pointers, giving him at least one made triple in seven of the Eagles' eight games. Smith had five rebounds, giving him an average of 5.6 boards during Coppin State's three-game road swing.
The Eagles committed a season-low seven turnovers against the Spartans. Coppin State held an edge in points off Norfolk State turnovers (21-10), received 15 points from its bench brigade and tallied 16 fast break points.
However, the Eagles couldn't locate their 3-point shooting touch for a second consecutive game. Coppin State finished 6-for-35 (17.1 percent) from 3-point distance. The Eagles entered the game leading the MEAC in 3-pointers made per game.
Despite trailing by as many as 14 points on several occasions in the first half, the Eagles sprinted into halftime with momentum. They scored the last six points to trail, 42-37, at intermission. Those good vibes extended to the start of the second half where Coppin State pulled to within two points three times in the first four minutes.
Smith's fastbreak basket with 16 minutes, 7 seconds remaining trimmed the Spartans' deficit to 48-46. Unfortunately that would be as close as the Eagles would get. Coppin State scored 10 points over an 11-minute stretch that ultimately proved to be the difference in the contest.
Norfolk State (6-4, 2-0) had four players reach double figures led by D'Shon Taylor's career-high 24 points and Jeff Short's 20 markers. Rashid Gaston posted his fifth straight double-double for the Spartans with 19 points and 13 rebounds. The Spartans shot 52.4 percent for the contest and made 11 3-pointers.
Coppin State concludes its busy stretch of four games in seven days with a home contest against Hofstra Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. That game will be Commuter/$1 Hot Dog Night. Hofstra has won three straight games, including a 14-point win over Norfolk State last week.
Norfolk State will visit Coppin State on Saturday, Feb. 21.
