Courtesy of Coppin State Athletics
BALTIMORE – Julius Ellerbe III led three Coppin State men’s basketball players in double figures with 16 points as CSU prevailed over HBCU hoops power player NC Central (NCCU), 63-61, on Saturday afternoon in the MEAC opener for both teams at PEC Arena. Coppin now stands at 2-13 overall while NCCU fell to 7-11.
Checking the Box Score
- Ellerbe hit 4-of-8 shots from the floor with a pair of threes and 6-of-8 from the line to lead the Navy & Gold in scoring. He also had a game-high eight rebounds.
- Camaren Sparrow matched a career-high with 14 points, burying four 3-pointers to go with five assists which were also career-best.
- Toby Nnadozie added 11 points while matching Sparrow with five assists and he was followed by Peter Oduro and Jonathan Dunn with eight points apiece, and Khali Horton with six.
- Coppin’s 16 assists on 20 made baskets was a season-best, helping them to victory despite being narrowly outshot, 43.4% to 42.6%.
- CSU held NCCU to just one 3-pointer on 15 attempts while Coppin hit a season-high nine shots from deep on 18 attempts.
- NC Central was led by Po’Boigh King with 18 points, its only player in double figures.
- This was the first time that Coppin defeated NCCU at home since February 18, 2016, snapping a five-game streak.
How it Happened
- Coppin opened the MEAC contest on an 8-0 run, getting threes from Nnadozie and Sparrow, followed by a layup by Dunn.
- NC Central rallied to tie the score at ten with 11:33 remaining and the rest of the half featured five lead changes and two ties before NCCU opened up a 30-23 lead at the half of the HBCU hoops contest.
- Nnadozie opened the second half the same way as the first, with a three, and Coppin kept clawing at the deficit to tie the score and take the lead on a pair of free throws by Oduro at the 14:55 mark.
- A three by Sparrow with 12:10 remaining, upped Coppin’s lead to 43-38 before a layup by Central on the ensuing possession made it a one-possession game.
- Ellerbe responded with an old-fashioned three-point play and added a three after a Central miss, giving Coppin its largest lead at 49-40 with 10:18 left to play.
- Seven-straight points by Central cut Coppin’s advantage to 49-47 with 7:13 left before Nnadozie sunk a three, extending the lead back to five.
- Coppin countered every Central basket with one of its own, highlighted by a layup by Dunn, and after a block by Horton, got a thunderous two-handed slam by Dunn with 3:52 remaining, giving CSU a 59-52 lead.
- Oduro had a key layup with 2:45 left and Horton hit both free throws with just under two minutes remaining to keep the lead at five.
- Central hit three free throws down the stretch and its potential game-tying jumper at the buzzer was off the mark, giving Coppin State the HBCU hoops upset.
Up Next: Coppin is scheduled to host South Carolina State in an 8:00 pm MEAC tipoff on Monday, January 6 which will air on ESPN+ and WNST 1570 AM.