BALTIMORE – Sam Sessoms scored a game-high 21 points, all of which came in the second half, as Coppin State's men's basketball team fell to North Carolina Central University, 64-59 on Monday night at PEC Arena. Coppin falls to 6-13 while NCCU improves to 8-8 and both teams are now 1-1 in the MEAC.
Inside the Numbers
- Sessoms made 9-of-17 from the floor with three 3-pointers while adding five rebounds, four assists and a steal.
- Nendah Tarke added 16 points and Justin Steers finished with ten, while tying for a team-high six rebounds. Tarke was credited with four steals while Steers added two.
- Kam'Ron Blue and Mike Hood chipped in with seven points and five points, respectively, but they were the only five CSU players to score on the night.
- NCCU narrowly outshot CSU, 40.4% to 38.2% while outrebounding Coppin, 46-29.
- Central got 21 points and nine rebounds from Justin Wright while former CSU standout Brendan Medley-Bacon tallied ten points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
How it Happened
- NCCU got out to an early, 14-2 lead over the first 5:21 before Nendah Tarke hit a jumper at the 14:39 mark.
- Tarke answered a Central three with another layup, but NCCU hit another three to take its largest lead of the game at 20-6 with 11:38 left in the period.
- Coppin battled right back with an 11-0 run over the next 4:28, highlighted by an alley-oop from Hood to Blue before Blue capped off the run with a three at the 7:10 mark.
- After a NCCU bucket, Hood followed with a three before the visitors closed the half on a 13-4 run.
- Central maintained a double-digit lead and held a 51-41 advantage with 7:56 to play before Coppin scored ten-straight points, tying the score with 5:07 left on a pull-up three by Sessoms.
- NCCU came right back with eight straight points over the next 2:44 as Coppin was unable to pull within a single possession.
Up Next: Coppin returns to action on Saturday, January 14 when it hosts archrival Morgan State in a 4 pm tipoff at PEC Arena.
