DURHAM, N.C. – Camaren Sparrow scored a team-high 12 points and had a key block in the final minute of Coppin State men's basketball's 58-56 victory at NC Central on Saturday afternoon at McDougald-McClendon Arena. CSU moved to 5-21 on the year and 3-6 in the MEAC while NC Central fell to 9-14 on the year and 6-3 in league play.
Sparrow made 4-of-6 shots from the field with a 3-pointer and hit 3-of-5 from the line for his 12 points. The junior from Baltimore, Md., also had a pair of rebounds but his blocked shot on a dunk attempt with 42 seconds remaining sealed the win.
DeMariontay Hall was the only other Coppin player in double figures with 11 points, followed by
Hussain Williams with nine,
Baasil Saunders and
Taj Thweatt with seven points apiece and both
Hassan Perkins and
Tyler Koenig with five each. Thweatt had a team-high six rebounds while Koenig and Thweatt combined for five blocks.
Daveyon Lydner was credited with a team-high four assists.
Coppin outshot Central, 39.7% to 34.4% and was able to overcome a ten-point first half deficit.
Falling behind, 29-19 with just under three minutes left in the first half, Coppin got threes from Williams and Perkins to help pull within 33-27 at the half. A dunk by Saunders with 15:12 remaining gave CSU its first lead since the opening minutes, but that was short-lived as Central answered with a three.
After trading baskets, Thweatt buried a three before a free throw by Williams, putting Coppin up 47-42 with 9:16 left for its largest lead of the game. The lead changed six times the rest of the game which became a nailbiter in the final two-and-a-half minutes.
Clinging to a 58-56 lead after a NC Central basket, Coppin turned it over, but Central was unable to capitalize. Sparrow missed a mid-range shot with just under a minute left but came up big on the other end with an unexpected block dunk attempt from Kelechi Okworogwo with 42 seconds to go.
Coppin settled for a missed three at the other end and the hosts were unable to get off a clean attempt as time expired following a timeout with six seconds left.
CSU stays on the road and will face South Carolina State at 4:30 pm on Monday, February 16.
