Men's Basketball | 2/19/2015 12:45:00 PM
BALTIMORE – Caution: Flammable.
Don't stand too close to
Sterling Smith because you may melt.
Coppin State's 6 foot, 4 inch junior guard has been on fire on the Eagles during their last seven games, averaging 21.3 points per game and 6.1 rebounds. Those numbers would be impressive on their own. Add to those digits these percentages and it makes you go wow. Smith is shooting 61.7 percent from the field (50-for-81), 60.4 from three-point distance (29-for-48) and 86.4 percent from the free-throw line (19-for-22).
Smith will look to keep his hot shooting going as he leads Coppin State (6-20 overall, 5-8 MEAC) into Saturday afternoon's crucial Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men's basketball contest at home against Norfolk State (16-11, 9-3) beginning at 4:00 p.m.
The Eagles dropped an 88-69 decision to the Spartans on the road on Dec. 8 despite a team-high 16 points from senior guard
Taariq Cephas. Smith and senior forward
Arnold Fripp scored 15 points each for Coppin State. Overall, Norfolk State leads the all-time series, 23-11. NSU has won five straight games in the series.
In Coppin State's 96-92 victory over Delaware State on Monday night, Smith scored Coppin State's first 14 points and 17 of the Eagles' first 20 points with a breathtaking shooting display that resembled Klay Thompson's third quarter performance against the Kings a few weeks back. Smith finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds, his fourth career double-double. In addition, Smith tied his career-high point total for the second time in the Eagles' last three games.
During Smith's recent scoring barrage, he has moved up to 13th in the conference in scoring (13.3 points per game), second in 3-point field goal percentage (42.4), third in 3-pointers made per game (2.3) and 11th in field goal percentage (47.6).
Coppin State has been raining 3-pointers with regularity lately, having made at least 10 or more in eight of its last nine games. However, in its first matchup against Norfolk State, Coppin State was 6-of-35 from beyond the arc.
Also averaging double figures for Coppin State is Cephas (12.0 points per game) and Fripp (11.8). Fripp also leads the Eagles in rebounding, averaging 5.8 per game. Fripp also had his fourth career double-double in the win over Delaware State with 22 points and 10 rebounds.
With 1,024 career points, Cephas needs seven to move past
Michael Murray and into 20th place all-time on the Coppin State scoring list. Cephas is second in the MEAC and 48th nationally in assists per game (4.9).
Meanwhile, Norfolk State has lost two straight games to Maryland Eastern Shore (82-64) and Morgan State (73-70). Over its last five games, the Spartans have been paced in scoring by RaShid Gaston (16.2 ppg.), Jeff Short (15.6) and D'Shon Taylor (12.8). Short had his first career double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds) against Morgan State.
In the first meeting against Coppin State, the Spartans had four players reach double figures led by Taylor's career-high 24 points and Short's 20 markers. Gaston posted a 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 enjoys a week off before returning to action on Saturday, Feb. 28 when it visits crosstown foe Morgan State in its penultimate regular season game.
