NORFOLK, Virginia – Six players scored at least eight points on the night, and the Norfolk State men's basketball team never trailed in a 75-67 win over Coppin State on Wednesday night at Joseph Echols Hall.
In the MEAC opener for both teams, the Spartans overcame 18 turnovers but held a big edge on the glass to win their second straight game. Only twice did Coppin State pull even with NSU, once at the beginning and once in the second half when the Eagles made a run.
NSU only had two players in double figures, led by freshman Mastadi Pitt's 17 point-night on 3-of-7 shooting. He made 9-of-10 from the free throw line with three assists off the bench.
Norfolk State (3-12 overall, 1-0 MEAC) made 10-of-24 from the 3-point line while holding Coppin State to 37.5 percent shooting on 21-of-56 field goals.
The Eagles remained winless on the season at 0-16 overall as well as 0-1 in the league.
The Spartans led by seven at the break after going up by as much as 11 early on. They again led by double digits early in the second half before CSU's Lamar Morgan hit one of his six 3-pointers on the night to cut the Spartans' lead to three, 36-33. A little later, Cedric Council's 3-point play got the Eagles to one. Morgan then knocked down a 3-pointer but could not complete the 4-point play, but nevertheless it tied the score at 41-all at the 12:39 mark.
Sophomore Nic Thomas had six points during an 11-3 run for the Spartans to push their lead to 52-44. It later became a 62-51 ballgame after a pair of buckets from senior Bryan Gellineau. Morgan, however, made a pair of free throws and capped an 11-3 run with yet another 3-pointer to get the Eagles to within three, 65-62. But with just two minutes left, NSU got baskets from senior Preston Bungei and junior Alex Long before making 6-of-8 from the free throw line in the last minute.
Long was the only other Spartan in double figures with 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting with six rebounds. Thomas, senior Kyle Williams and junior Derrik Jamerson each scored nine, while Bungei added eight points and 12 boards.
Williams (seven) and sophomore Steven Whitley (eight) also played big roles on the glass. NSU held a 47-28 advantage in rebounds. It included a 14-6 edge on the offensive side, which led to the Spartans outscoring the Eagles 13-5 in second-chance points.
Long had six points early on, and Jamerson knocked down a pair of treys to give the Spartans an early 17-6 lead in the game, the largest of the night. But after a slow start, the Eagles started heating up from deep. Morgan hit a couple, and Tre' Thomas knocked one down from long range with 4:51 before the half to get the Eagles all the way back to within one, 23-22.
Pitt had a couple of buckets to keep the Spartans ahead, and his two free throws with 46 seconds left made it a 33-26 contest heading into the half.
Morgan totaled 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting, 6-of-14 from deep. Karonn Davis and Adam Traore added 13 and 11 points, respectively. Council stuffed the stat sheet with seven points, five rebounds, three assists, three blocks and three steals.
BOX SCORE
NSU shot 24-of-60 (40 percent) from the floor and 17-of-22 from the free throw line.
The Eagles made 10-of-35 from deep.
NSU will make the conference's North Carolina trip this weekend, beginning at N.C. A&T on Saturday and finishing it up at N.C. Central on Monday.
NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
No comments:
Post a Comment