NORFOLK, Va. – Four Eagles scored in double figures, but the Coppin State men's basketball team fell to second-seeded South Carolina State, 68-63, in the MEAC Quarterfinals on Wednesday night at Scope Arena. Coppin finished the season at 6-24 overall while the Bulldogs improved to 19-12.
Checking the Box Score
- Peter Oduro led the Eagles with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting, followed by Toby Nnadozie with 14 and both Khali Horton and Julius Ellerbe III with ten points apiece.
- Derrius Ward added eight points and led Coppin with seven rebounds while Camaren Sparrow chipped in with six points.
- Nnadozie, the league leader in steals and MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, was credited with four steals and a block. He finished the season with 76 steals, good for the fourth-most in CSU single-season history.
- Horton blocked a career-high three shots and Sparrow blocked two more as Coppin posted a season-high nine blocks. Horton and Ellerbe also had a pair of steals.
- Coppin shot 53.1% in the first half but made just 36.0% from the floor in the second half. The Eagles also committed 13 turnovers in the second half which turned into 14 Bulldog points.
- South Carolina State also made 10-of-11 free throws in the final 20 minutes compared to just 4-of-7 for Coppin.
How it Happened
- Nnadozie scored six quick points with an early block and a steal, helping the Eagles take an early 10-2 lead to force a South Carolina State timeout.
- Coppin continued the defensive intensity and led by as many as 15-5 at the 14:13 mark following a putback from Sparrow.
- The Bulldogs crawled back into the game, getting Coppin's lead to a single-possession three separate times, but Ward hit a layup with 22 seconds remaining to put CSU up, 41-37 at the half.
- Coppin's 41 first half points were its second-most this season (48 vs. Cheyney) and the most against a Division I opponent.
- South Carolina State started the second half on an 11-0 run to go up, 48-41 with 17:12 left in regulation.
- CSU cut the deficit to just one point on three separate occasions but were unable to get over the hump.
- The Bulldogs led by as many as 60-52 with 6:30 left to play but a three-point by Oduro in transition cut the deficit to just 64-61 with 2:58 remaining.
- Both teams scored a pair of points, and in the final minute, Coppin had a chance to possibly tie the score with a three but was called for a shot clock violation after Nnadozie pilfered the ball from the Bulldogs.
- SC State hit a pair of free throws with 12 ticks left and Coppin was unable to answer.
