Clayton Scores Career-High 30 Points in Men’s Hoops’ Loss at South Carolina State

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Despite a career-high 30 points from Dejuan Clayton, the Coppin State men's basketball team could not hold on as they fell at MEAC rival South Carolina State, 85-84 at S-H-M Memorial Center Monday night.

The Basics

• Final Score: Coppin State 84, South Carolina State 85
• Records: Coppin State 5-21 (5-6 MEAC) / South Carolina State 6-20 (4-6 MEAC)
• Location: Orangeburg, S.C. (S-H-M Memorial Center)
• Series History: Coppin State Leads, 34-42

How It Happened
First Half 

• Coppin battled back from an early 23-14 deficit at the 12:10 mark with a 15-3 run over the next 7:19 to take a 29-26 lead when Dejuan Clayton found Cedric Council open for a three-pointer.
• Clayton had a big three-point play to tie the score at 26 at the 5:55 mark before Council put CSU on top with 4:51 to go.
• The lead was short lived as South Carolina State scored 11-straight points to go up 37-29 with 2:12 to go.
• Nigel Marshall stopped the bleeding momentarily with a layup off an assist by Clayton but the Bulldogs scored the final four points of the half, going into the break with a 41-31 lead.

 Second Half 

• South Carolina State extended its lead to as many as 58-43 with 13:19 to go but it was a Dejuan Clayton show the rest of the way.
• Clayton led the Eagles on a furious comeback, scoring 13 points during a 22-5 run over the next 6:30, giving the Eagles a 65-63 lead at the 6:49 mark.  Clayton scored the final nine points of the run, tying the score at 63 with a triple with 7:29 to go.
• The Bulldogs regained the lead with a three with 6:04 remaining but Kent Auslander tied it back up 15 seconds later.
• Clayton scored Coppin's next four points, and after a bucket by Cedric Council and another three by Auslander off a dime by Clayton, the Eagles held a 78-72 advantage with 3:13 remaining.
• The teams traded baskets to keep the CSU lead at six but a Bulldogs three cut the lead in half with 1:55 left.
• Another layup by Clayton extended the lead back to five but SCSU traded an Eagles free throw for two of its own a couple times to pull within 84-83 with 23 ticks on the clock.
• Coppin turned it over on its ensuing possession and with two seconds remaining, Janai Raynor-Powell found Damani Applewhite who threw down the slam for the win.

Inside the Numbers 

• Dejuan Clayton scored a career-high 30 points (24 in the second half on 10-of-11 shooting) on 12-of-18 shooting while making 5-of-7 from the free throw line.  Clayton also dished out six assists.
• Clayton's 30 points surpasses the 28 points he scored as a freshman in a win at Howard on January 16, 2017.
• Kent Auslander added 14 points off the bench with four 3-pointers while Chad Andrews-Fulton and Lucian Brownlee scored nine points apiece.  Cedric Council chipped in with eight points and matched Andrews-Fulton with a team-high six rebounds.
• Freshmen Nigel Marshall (7) and Justin Steers (5) combined for 12 points.
• Coppin shot a whopping 56.4% from the floor including 19-of-28 (67.9%) in the second half but made just 13-of-24 (54.2%) free throws. 
• South Carolina State made 51.9% of its field goals, including 12-of-22 (54.5%) 3-pointers and 17-of-21 (81.0%) free throws.
• Five bulldogs scored in double figures, led by Damani Applewhite with 21 points including the game-winning dunk with two seconds left.

Who's Next?

• Coppin State returns to action on Saturday, February 16 when it makes the short trip to Maryland Eastern Shore for a 2 pm tipoff.