NORFOLK, Va. – For the second time this season, Bethune-Cookman pulled the plug on Coppin State's high-octane scoring machine and disarmed it of its most trusted weapon – the 3-point shot.
Despite having to play at a slower pace and making six 3-pointers, the ninth-seeded Eagles survived by remaining calm, poised and making key defensive stops down the stretch to secure a 64-60 victory over the eighth-seeded Wildcats in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opening round contest at the Scope Arena Tuesday night.
Coppin State improved its overall record to 8-22 while Bethune-Cookman finished its season at 11-21.
This game also displayed the Eagles growth and maturity as a team. Back in January they lost this exact type of contest to Bethune-Cookman 58-53 at home. There were moments of frustration during the game and fewer possessions than the Eagles were used to. Despite the obstacles, Coppin State preserved to earn a shot at top-seeded North Carolina Central Wednesday night in a quarterfinal contest.
"I thought our guys really competed and made some big plays at the end," Coppin State head men's basketball coach
Michael Grant said. "We really took care of the basketball, ending up with only seven turnovers. Any time you can go into a ballgame and do that is a very good night."
Even though
Sterling Smith was the only Coppin State player in double figures with 14 points, the Eagles used a total team effort to beat Bethune-Cookman for the second straight year in the opening round of the tournament. All nine players who took the floor for Coppin State scored. Coppin State's bench was a huge factor, outscoring the Wildcats, 24-11.
Arnold Fripp finished with nine points while
Taariq Cephas and
Daquan Brickhouse added eight points each. Brickhouse scored all of his points in the second half, including five critical points in the final three minutes to help the Eagles finally subdue the feisty Wildcats, who harassed CSU all game long like angry bill collectors.
"Defense was a big factor tonight," Fripp said. "We rebounded okay—instead of getting run out, we crashed the boards and got a big contribution from the bench. Most importantly we learned how to close the game out."
While Brickhouse did a masterful job of controlling the tempo and making big shots, the triumvirate of
Dallas Gary,
Jahvari Josiah and
Lawrence Fejokwu combined for 16 points and six rebounds. Josiah was a force on the boards, securing three offensive and defensive rebounds each to finish one shy of his career best.
"I was very surprised with Jahvari's performance," Grant said. "He played a mentally tough game today. He really crashed the boards, played smart and was aggressive on the offensive end. Lawrence did a great job and gave us a nice spark during the game. Overall, I was very happy with our bench play tonight."
It took some time for Coppin State to gain an upper hand in the contest.
There were three lead changes and seven ties in the first half, most of which occurred in the opening minutes. The last tie came with 6:53 left in the half, when Ricky Johnson hit two free throws to tie the game at 17-17.
Coppin State answered with a 10-2 run, taking a 27-19 lead at the 1:48 mark after a layup from Fripp. The Eagles led 29-23 at the break.
Coppin State led by as many as nine, 45-36, in the second half, but a 7-2 Wildcats run cut the lead to 46-43 after two Johnson free throws. Each time the Eagles would get a nice working margin, the Wildcats answered. Quintin Brewer cut the lead to 55-53 with 4:39 left with a free throw, and Johnson's layup with two seconds left cut Coppin State's lead to 62-60.
Bethune-Cookman shot 39.2 percent (20-for-51) from the floor and hit five of 18 3-pointers – while also knocking down 15 of 20 free throws (75.0 percent) and holding a 37-31advantage in rebounds.
Johnson led three Wildcats in double figures with 21 points.
Now Coppin State gets an opportunity to avenge an earlier loss to a North Carolina Central. The Eagles dropped a 79-77 road decision on Jan. 24. The Eagles had a wide-open 3-point opportunity as time expired that fell short.
"We are a team that believes we can play with anybody in this league," Smith said. "We look forward to the game and the challenge that it presents. I think it's going to be a good one."
