NORFOLK, Va., March 6, 2017–Four players scored in double figures Monday evening at No. 11 seed Howard upset No. 6 seed Coppin State 79-73 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in a MEAC Tournament first-round game that featured more than 100 combined free throws.
The Bison will play in Thursday’s quarterfinal against No. 3 Morgan State.
Solomon Mangham led the Bison (9-23) with 18 points, while MEAC Rookie of the Year Charles Williams added 15 points. Damon Collins and James Miller each added 13 points, with Miller also grabbing a team-high nine rebounds.
Howard led by 11 at the half, and the Bison grew that lead to 18 on multiple occasions — the latest 46-28 at the 15:10 mark of the second half on a Kofi Andoh layup. Coppin State eventually whittled the lead down to single digits, thanks to a 42-20 stretch that saw the Eagles cut the gap to 70-66 with 1:05 remaining.
But free throws bit Coppin State in the end; for the game, the Eagles were 28-for-48 from the charity stripe.
Dejuan Clayton led the Eagles (8-24) with 23 points.