BALTIMORE, Md. – The Coppin State men's basketball team concluded its four-game homestand with a 77-60 setback to Howard University in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) contest at the Physical Education Complex Saturday afternoon.
For the second consecutive game,
Sterling Smith led Coppin State in scoring with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting. He also made five 3-pointers. In two games played this week, Smith averaged 22.5 points and made 11 3-pointers while shooting 60 percent from the field. Meanwhile, it was a memorable afternoon for senior guard
Taariq Cephas, who added 17 points on 6-of-12 shooting.
He became the 22nd player in Coppin State men's basketball program history to score 1,000 career points when he made a 3-pointer with 7 minutes, 57 seconds remaining in the first half that gave Coppin State a 27-25 advantage. He needed nine points entering the game. In addition, Cephas joins Tywain McKee as the only CSU player to score 1,000 points and hand out 400 career assists during their careers. Currently, Cephas has 1,009 points and 421 assists, which is second all-time in program history.
Cephas scored 166 points as a freshman. He tallied 245 as a sophomore and 301 last season. This season, he is Coppin State's second leading scorer at 11.9 points per game with 297 points. Cephas has earned his reputation as a solid all-around performer as he is currently second in the MEAC in assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio. However, Cephas has scored in double-figures 45 times while wearing the sacred blue-and-gold. In addition, Cephas has produced two of his career three double-doubles this season.
Elsewhere for Coppin State,
Shomari Triggs hit for nine points in a career-best 27 minutes.
Overall, the Eagles made 11 3-pointers, the 18th time this season the Eagles made at least nine 3-pointers and the seventh time in their last eight contests they finished with at least double-digit triples. Triggs' only 3-pointer extended Coppin State's lead to 29-25 with 7:05 remaining in the first half. Coppin State scored two points the rest of the half to enter intermission trailing, 38-31.
Howard's game-altering burst eventually peaked at 19-2 over the final seven minutes of the first half and the opening 62 seconds of the second half. Howard had three players reach double figures led by James Carlton's double-double (27 points, 13 rebounds). James Daniel added 18 points and James Miller finished with 10 points. The Bison won the rebounding battle, 40-20 and shot 54.5 percent (25-of-46).
Coppin State returns to action Monday night when it visits Delaware State for a game starting at 7:30 p.m.
