Chris Grant finished the game with 13 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
BoxscoreMorgan State had one of its best games of the season but ran out of time as they dropped to Coppin State in the Coppin Center on Wednesday night, 68-66, in a classic overtime duel between rivals. The Eagles snapped a four-game losing streak and won its home-opener against a young Morgan State team that fell just shy of an upset. The overtime win gave Coppin its first Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win of the season (3-7, 1-0), dropping the Bears to (1-3, 0-1).
Kelvin Green scored with 16 seconds left and Nicholas King knocked in a free-throw for the winning points in a seesaw conference battle.
The much bigger Eagles got big hoops and rebounds from Jimmy Boykin (17 points, 8 rebounds), Nicholas King (12 points, 5 rebounds) and Kelvin Green (25 points, 5 rebounds) to build a 14-point lead in the first half.
But early on in the second half the Eagles went cold, largely due to Morgan’s pesky and opportunistic man-to-man defense. The Bears went on a 17-2 run capped by a jumper by Joseph McLean to pull the Bears to 39-38 at the 10:51 mark. Karanvir Aujla’s baseline 3-pointer and two free throws by Cedrick Barrow gave Morgan its first lead of the second half at 45-43.
The Bears had opportunities to win the ballgame in regulation but their chances slipped away down the stretch. When Kelvin Green scored his 11th point of the half to tie the game with 38 seconds remaining, the Bears were left with enough time to work for the game winning shot. Following a timeout with 26 seconds left on the clock, the Eagles’ defense forced Cedrick Barrow to heave a prayer at the buzzer that bounced out, as onlookers prepared themselves for the extra period.
In overtime, Kelvin Green (25 points) converted a three-point play by sinking a free-throw to help the Eagles take a 65-63 lead, but the Bears didn’t give up.
Reggie Winkfield hit a shot standing just beyond the 3-point line to regain the lead by one, 66-65. Green showed up big for the Eagles one last time as he scored after an entry pass from Nicholas King to help the Eagles go up, 67-66, with 16 seconds left on the clock. The Bears’ deficit grew to, 68-66, when King knocked down the backend of a two-shot foul.
Morgan State’s fate was sealed when freshman guard Joseph McLean’s three-point attempt fell off the mark with time running out to secure the Eagles’ overtime win.
Morgan State may not blame the loss on the ending of the game, but maybe the beginning. The Bears shot just 33% from the field in the first half and finished the game by shooting 22% (5-22) from 3-point territory.
Coppin State used a 16-2 run to end the half with the lead and the crowd momentum. The Eagles simply were bigger in the paint and took advantage as they outrebounded the Bears 34-29 and scored 30 points in the paint.
Morgan State finished the game with four players scoring in double-figures. Aaron Andrews led the Bears with 15 points before fouling out in regulation. Chris Grant got his first start of the season and was steady throughout the night. The 6-4 guard collected 13 points, 7 rebounds and dished out 4 assists. Reggie Winkfield and Cedrick Barrow provided clutch baskets down the stretch by scoring 11 and 10 points respectively.
The Bears will travel to Norfolk, Virginia to take on Old Dominion in non-conference action on Saturday, December 13. It will be the first match-up between the teams. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
