NCCU at Coppin State Game Notes (PDF)
THE GAME
After four games in the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), the Eagles of North Carolina Central University sit just a half game behind second place Bethune-Cookman (4-1 in MEAC) as the maroon and gray enter the most crucial Saturday/Monday road swing in years. Saturday afternoon, Jan. 21, NCCU faces Coppin State, and then turns around to battle Morgan State on Monday, Jan. 23 in the Charm City.
THE SERIES
NCCU and Coppin State have battled on six previous occasions in program history with NCCU taking the last three contests. Last season, the maroon and gray swept CSU 77-71 at the Physical Education Complex on Jan. 15, 2011, and then pulled out a 77-75 buzzer-beater win on on Feb. 14, 2011. The Eagles are 260-255 against MEAC opponents all-time.
NCCU SPORTS NETWORK
Eagle Gameday built by Dayeco Construction Co. begins at 1:45 p.m. (EST) on Saturday, Jan. 21st with wall-to-wall coverage of Saturday’s twinbill and can be heard only online at www.NCCUEaglePride.com. Fans can also follow the action of Saturday's doubleheader on twitter by following @NCCUAthletics and @NCCURadio and by using the hashtag #NCCUCSU
COPPIN STATE UNIVERSITY "EAGLES"
Coppin State University enters weekend play with an 8-10 record overall, 3-2 in the MEAC following an eight-point loss to league front-runner Norfolk State University. The Spartans are currently in the catbird seat 14-5 overall and a perfect 6-0 in conference action, the host Eagles are just a half-game behind Savannah State University in the top four in the conference and sport possibly the most experienced lineup league-wide with four seniors (Tony Gallo, Akeem Ellis, Antonion Williams, and Logan Weins) and one sophomore (Michael Murray). Many experts around the conference speak volumes about the talent of CSU with four players sitting in the top-30 in the league statistics in scoring, led by senior point guard Gallo, who is third in the league averaging 16.4 points per game. Standing at 6-6, Ellis is seventh in the conference with a 13.4 point per game average. The 6-8 forward, Weins, is 22nd in the conference averaging 10.5 points per contest, while hanging out in the league’s seventh position in field goal percentage (52.0 percent). Senior Michael Harper comes off the bench to average 9.5 points per tilt sitting 30th in the league. At 6-6, 230 pounds, Williams sits fifth in the league grabbing 7.5 rebounds a game, while Ellis is 17th in the conference ripping down 5.1 boards a contest from his guard position. Gallo sits in the sixth slot dishing out 3.8 helpers per contest, as Ellis is once again just behind him dropping in 3.7 assists a game. As a team, Coppin State is second in the MEAC in scoring (70.7 points per game), fourth in field goal percentage (42.0 percent), second in three-point percentage (31.9 percent) with 171 shots made from the outside (No. 1 in the league), and second in assists at 14.2 helpers a game. CSU is led by one of the many legendary coaches who recently won his 400th game at Coppin State. Ron "Fang" Mitchell in 25 seasons in Baltimore has compiled an astonishing 403-367 record at CSU, and is 630-412 in 33 years of collegiate coaching. Fang has led the Eagles to eight postseason appearances that include Coppin State’s huge NCAA Tournament upset of the second-seeded Gamecocks of South Carolina (78-65), widely considered one of the greatest upsets in NCAA Tournament history. Mitchell is considered one of the greatest coaches in the MEAC’s illustrious history. His most recent NCAA appearance may be perhaps his best, as the 2007-08 team won 12 of 13 contests down the back stretch of the season that included a run in the MEAC tournament clinching CSU’s fourth NCAA tournament berth. During his tenure at Coppin State, Mitchell has won "MEAC Coach of the Year" six times, and coached 44 all-conference players, including seven conference players of the year.
UP NEXT
NCCU stays in the "Charm City" as the Eagles will take on Morgan State from Hill Field House (Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m.). This is the final contest of the crucial three-game swing in the early MEAC slate. The maroon and gray return home on Saturday, Jan. 28 for doubleheader action against Delaware State University at 4:00 p.m. from McDougald-McLendon Gym.
