DEKALB, Ill. – Coppin State's men's basketball team kept within striking distance all game but could not get over the hump as it fell at Northern Illinois, 81-69, on Friday night at the Convocation Center. The matchup was the first game of the Collegiate Hoops Roadshow Presented by AtmosAir.
The Basics
Final Score: Coppin State 69, Northern Illinois 81
Records: Coppin State (1-3), Northern Illinois (1-2)
Location: DeKalb, Ill. (NIU Convocation Center)
How it Happened
- Northern Illinois got out to a 16-7 lead in the first five minutes but pulled to within a single point with a 8-0 run starting with a three from Andrew Robinson and capped off with a layup by Kamar McKnight.
- Nigel Marshall tied the score at 18-18 with a pair of free throws at the 9:38 mark but NIU went on a 10-2 run over the next 3:52 to go back up, 28-20.
- Coppin got back to within 29-25 with a layup by Marshall and a three from McKnight but the Huskies extended the lead to as many as 36-26 and took a 37-29 lead into the half.
- Dejuan Clayton was much more active on the offensive end in the second half as he drove in for a layup and made another free throw in the opening minute.
- After an NIU basket, Coppin made it a 39-37 ballgame after two Koby Thomas free throws and another three from Robinson with 18:17 remaining.
- The Huskies then went on 9-1 run over the next four minutes and Coppin got no closer than six points the remainder of the game.
- A transition layup by Aaron Robinson made it a 51-45 game but the Huskies scored seven-straight and kept a double-digit lead the remainder of the game.
Inside the Numbers
- Dejuan Clayton finished with a team-high 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting to lead three Eagles in double figures. Clayton also finished with six assists, five rebounds and two steals. Fifteen of his points came in the second half.
- Andrew Robinson made five threes and finished with 16 points. while also grabbing five rebounds to go with a pair of steals.
- Kamar McKnight added 15 points with 13 of them coming in the first half.
- Aaron Robinson chipped in with eight points and pulled down a team-high six rebounds.
- Coppin was narrowly outshot 39.3% to 37.1% but shot just 10-of-37 (27.0%) 3-pointers and was outrebounded, 51-33. Northern Illinois recorded 15 offensive rebounds and got 23 points from Eugene German.
Up Next: The Eagles are back in action on Sunday, November 17 when it travels to Northern Kentucky for a 2 pm start on ESPN3.
