BALTIMORE – North Carolina Central University knocked down 10 three-pointers and led Coppin State for over 32 minutes on its way to a 68-63 win at the Physical Education Complex on Saturday, Feb. 8.

The first half of the game was marked by a pair of runs as NCCU (11-12-, 7-2 MEAC) took the lead on a 9-0 run, but then CSU (7-18, 3-7 MEAC) regained the advantage after a 7-0 run of their own to go ahead 21 -17.
 
Jibri Blount (Pittsburgh, Pa.) powered that 9-0 run for NCCU as he scored the first nine points for the Eagles, and after that Justin Whatley (Chesapeake, Va.) scored the next five.  NCCU caught fire from the perimeter midway through the first period as Deven Palmer (Hyde Park, Mass.) went four-for-four from downtown, and Blount, Whatley, and Ty Graves (Greensboro, N.C.) each knocked down a trey as well.
 
Strong rebounding and free throw shooting kept CSU close in the first half as the hosts went 5-for-6 from the line, and NCCU didn't record a single attempt in the first 20 minutes.  However, NCCU took a 33-31 lead to the intermission.
 
NCCU started the second half on a 9-0 run started by a three-pointer from Blount, but CSU put together a 7-0 run of its own to trim the lead back to four.   NCCU kept its hot shooting going in the second half and stretched the lead out to as many as 13, but CSU wouldn't go away easily.
 
CSU pulled within four in the closing seconds of the game, but NCCU made its free throws to pick up a 68-63 victory.
 
Palmer finished with a game-high and career-high 21 points, and Blount finished one board shy of a double-double with 19 points and nine rebounds.  Whatley stepped up with nine points and eight rebounds, and Jordan Perkins (Greensboro, N.C.) contributed 11 points for NCCU.
 
CSU had five players reach double-figures, led by Koby Thomas (Philadelphia, Pa.) with 17.  Brendan Medley-Bacon (Baltimore, Md.) had another stout defensive performance with an impressive 15 rebounds and seven blocks.
 
As a team, NCCU knocked down 10 three-pointers for the first time this season, and the first time since the Eagles made 11 against South Carolina State in a 72-62 win at home on Feb. 25, 2019.
 
NCCU will be back in action on Monday, Feb. 10 at Morgan State at 7:30 p.m. following the women's basketball contest, and that game will also be broadcast on FloHoops.