Courtesy of Steven Kramer
75
Coppin
84
ECU
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coppin | 42 | 33 | 75 |
| ECU | 37 | 47 | 84 |
GREENVILLE, N.C – Sam Sessoms led all scorers with 22 points while Nendah Tarke added 19 points, but it was not enough as the Coppin State men’s basketball team fell at East Carolina, 84-75 on Sunday afternoon at Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum. The Eagles now stand at 4-8 on the season while the Pirates improve to 7-4 overall.
Inside the Numbers
- Sessoms made 9-of-18 from the floor while adding five assists and three steals whereas Tarke hit 8-of-14 field goals along with a team-high six rebounds to go with three assists and three steals.
- Justin Steers also finished in double figures with 12 points to go with five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals.
- Alex Rojas hit three 3-pointers for nine points, followed by Kam’Ron Blue with eight points and Malik Battle with five points.
- The Eagles hit 50.0% of its field goals, but ECU was even better at 53.6% while making 20-of-29 free throws and tallying 19 assists. Fifth of the Pirates points came in the paint.
- ECU got double-doubles from both Javon Small and Brandon Johnson along with 18 points from Ezra Ausar.
How it Happened
- Coppin battled back from an early seven-point deficit in the first half and turned it into a seven-point lead with a 26-12 run.
- Key on the run was nine points from Tarke, all eight of Blue’s points before Sessoms punctuated the spurt with an old-fashioned three-point play with 1:28 left in the period.
- East Carolina hit a pair of free throws seconds later to cut Coppin’s lead to five points at the half.
- The Pirates regained the lead 2:14 into the second and built a nine-point advantage with a 11-0 run.
- Sessoms and Tarke stopped the momentum with back-to-back threes to pull Coppin to within three at the 12:33 mark but the Eagles got no closer the rest of the way.
- CSU got back to within three with 9:55 remaining after a pair of Sessoms’ jumpers but East Carolina went on a 10-3 run to hit its largest lead at 69-59 with 7:17 remaining.
Up Next: It will be a quick turnaround for Coppin as the Eagles return to action on Tuesday, December 13 at George Washington. Tipoff from the Smith Center will be at approximately 6 pm as the nightcap of a doubleheader and air on ESPN+.
Next Game: at George Washington 12/13/2022 | 6:00 pm ESPN+
Team Statistics
| Game Stats | Coppin | ECU |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | .500 | .536 |
| 3FG% | .474 | .222 |
| FT% | .750 | .690 |
| RB | 25 | 34 |
| TO | 13 | 12 |
| STL | 10 | 7 |
