CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Sam Sessoms scored a game-high 24 points in his Coppin State debut as the Eagles fell to Charlotte, 82-59 in the season opener on Monday night at Halton Arena.
Inside the Numbers
- Sessoms' 24 points came on 10-of-15 shooting along with a pair of 3-pointers and 2-of-2 from the line. The redshirt senior from Philadelphia, Pa., also grabbed three rebounds and dished out a team-high three assists.
- It was Sessoms' 31st career game with at least 20 points and he now has 1,731 career points. Twenty of his points came in the first half.
- Nendah Tarke and Justin Winston added eight points apiece while Mike Hood chipped in six points before fouling out. The rest of the team combined for 13 points as Coppin was outshot, 50.0% to 40.7%.
- Tarke led all players with eight rebounds while Winston was credited with three steals.
- Coppin made just 3-of-22 from 3-point range and hit 12-of-17 from the line. The 49ers hit 10-of-29 from deep and 16-of-22 from the stripe.
How it Happened
- Coppin jumped ahead early, 4-0 on back-to-back buckets from Winston and Sessoms, and Sessoms kept the Eagles on top with a three and another layup to make it a 9-8 score just before the first media timeout.
- Charlotte answered with a dunk to retake the lead before Tarke converted on a fastbreak layup and another three by Sessoms at the 14:17 mark.
- The 49ers hit back-to-back threes to go back on top before Isaiah Gross buried a triple, giving CSU an 18-16 lead with 11:49 remaining.
- A 7-0 run by Charlotte gave the hosts a five-point lead and it opened a 13-point lead at the half, 45-32.
- In the second half, Coppin cut the deficit to as little as 59-49 with 10:31 left after a pair of free throws by Hood.
- Following a layup by Sessoms with 6:34 to go, his final points of the game, Charlotte pulled away with a 12-0 run.
Up Next: Coppin has a quick turnaround as it faces Georgetown at Capital One Arena at 8:30 pm on Tuesday, November 8. The game will be nationally televised on FS1.
