COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Sam Sessoms tied the game with a three and converted on a game-winning three-point play moments later to lift Coppin State's men's basketball team to an 90-85 overtime victory at Tennessee Tech on Thursday night at the Eblen Center. CSU has now won three-straight non-conference games for the first time since the 1993-94 season.
Inside the Numbers
- Sessoms finished with a game-high 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting to go with three 3-pointers while making all five of his free throws. He also dished out ten assists for his second double-double of the season and grabbed five rebounds.
- Sessoms went over the 1,800-point mark in his career and now has 1,823 points to rank 12th among active NCAA Division I players.
- Backcourt mate Nendah Tarke also stuffed the stat sheet, recording 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
- Justin Winston also finished in double figures with 15 points while Alex Rojas and Mike Hood each hit three 3-pointers for nine points.
- Justin Steers chipped in with eight points, four rebounds and four assists while Kam'Ron Blue hit a pair of triples for six points.
- Coppin outshot Tennessee Tech, 49.2% to 40.8% and hit an impressive 16-of-32 (50.0%) from deep which is the most by the team since Juan Dixon took over as head coach for the 2017-18 season and one off the school-record.
- CSU was also credited with 21 assists, the most by the program under Dixon.
How it Happened
- With 17 ties and 25 lead changes, Coppin opened nine-point leads in both halves.
- Tennessee Tech held a slim, 33-31 lead at the half after closing the period on a 14-3 run.
- The Golden Eagles led by as many as four in the second half, but Coppin stayed in it and went on a 10-0 run which included back-to-back threes from Rojas and Tarke to take a 63-54 lead with 7:54 left in regulation.
- A 12-1 spurt by TTU gave the hosts back the lead before Blue answered with a three, putting CSU back on top at the 2:44 mark.
- Tech hit a pair of free throws to retake the lead before Sessoms answered with a three, and after two more TTU free throws, Tarke gave Coppin a 73-70 lead with 47 seconds to go.
- Sessoms had an opportunity to win the game in regulation but was off the mark, but he took over in the extra session with ten points and an assist.
- Trailing, 85-82, Sessoms pulled up on a fastbreak for a deep three to tie the score with 51 seconds left. After a miss by Tech, Sessoms drove in for the layup and hit a free throw to put CSU up, 88-85 with 21 seconds remaining.
- Following a timeout by each team, Tennessee Tech missed a three and Tarke hit both free throws in the closing seconds.
Up Next: Coppin will close out the Herd Run Hoops Jam MTE at Marshall on Saturday, November 19 at 7 pm. Fans can watch live on ESPN+.
