BALTIMORE, Md. – With five scorers in double-figures for the North Carolina Central University men's basketball team, the Eagles defeated Coppin State University 83-58 on Saturday evening. Junior Keishon Porter led all scorers with 21 points and grabbed six rebounds. Seniors Emmanuel Izunabor and Fred Cleveland Jr. each earned double-doubles.
Cleveland was one assist shy of tying a record that has stood for 42 years, finishing with 15 assists and 13 points.
NCCU (16-11, 8-4 MEAC) opened the game on an 11-3 run through the first five minutes of action.
Coppin State (2-24, 1-11 MEAC) only had seven players available but would close the gap with back-to-back three-pointers before the 12-minute media timeout, trailing 14-11.
Sophomores Po'Boigh King and Josh Smith chipped in to break a four-minute scoring drought for the NCCU Eagles. King sank a jumper as he was fouled and Smith drilled a three-pointer to lead 19-13.
A technical foul on Coppin State helped sway momentum as NC Central stretched the lead 31-18 with two threes from Devin Gordan and baskets from Cleveland and Porter.
Another three from Smith followed by a pair of free throws from him as well as a shot in the final seconds of the half from Baltimore native Timmy Adedire put the NCCU Eagles up 38-24.
At the half, Porter led NC Central with nine points and five rebounds. Smith and Gordon each had eight points. Through the first 20 minutes, Cleveland already had nine assists.
When both Eagle squads returned to the floor, both sides traded buckets as the second half began. Right before the 16-minute media timeout, NCCU went on a 10-0 run that stretched further into a 20-0 run including two deep threes from Gordon and Cleveland. Just seven minutes into the second half NC Central led 58-28.
The closest CSU would dig into its 30-point deficit was 21 points with less than two minutes remaining as NC Central kept their foot on the gas winning by 25 points.
NCCU led the entire contest, causing 22 turnovers and scoring 34 paint points compared to Coppin State's 14.
Smith and Gordon joined Izunabor, Cleveland and Porter in double figures with 16 and 12 points, respectively.
CSU's Malik Battle scored 16 points and Ryan Archey and Justin Winston each had 13 points.
NCCU has one more stop in Maryland as they prepare to play Morgan State University on Monday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m.
For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com, or download the NCCU Eagles Athletics app.
