Coppin State’s men’s basketball team picked up its second victory of the season with a 68-66 overtime victory over Cornell University on Saturday night at PEC Arena.  This is the first time since the 2013-14 season that the Eagles have won a pair of non-conference Division I games. 

The Basics
Final Score: Coppin State 68, Cornell 66 (Overtime)
Records: Coppin State (2-5), Cornell (1-5)
Location: Baltimore, Md. (PEC Arena)
Series History: Coppin State Leads, 2-0 

Inside the Numbers

  • Three Coppin State players finished in double figures, led by Kamar McKnight who recorded 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 4-of-6 from 3-point range.
  • Koby Thomas added 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting to go with eight rebounds which matched Brendan Medley-Bacon for a team-high.
  • Andrew Robinson scored 15 points on 6-of-11 from the field with three 3-pointers.  His final three with 43 seconds remaining in overtime sealed the victory.
  • Dejuan Clayton scored five points with three steals and Medley-Bacon finished with four points, eight rebounds and five blocks in just 23 minutes.
  • Reggie James provided a great spark off the bench with three points, three rebounds and an assist.
  • The Eagles outshot Cornell, 41.9% to 29.1% from the floor.
  • Cornell outrebounded Coppin, 54-43 and had 26 offensive rebounds which turned into 20 second-chance points.
  • The Big Red got 25 points and 17 rebounds from Jimmy Boeheim who scored 20 of his points after the first half.

How it Happened

  • Cornell got out to a 9-5 lead in the first 4:09 but Coppin got it going with a 15-0 run over the next 4:16 to go up 20-9 with 11:35 left in the first. Kamar McKnight and Koby Thomas combined for all 15 of the points as McKnight hit three 3-pointers.
  • The Eagles extended their lead to as many as 14 points twice in the first half after a jumper and a 3-pointer by Andrew Robinson.
  • The Big Red pulled to within 32-22 at the half and started the second period on a 15-5 run to tie the score at 37 with 12:02 left in regulation.
  • McKnight put CSU back on top with a three and the lead built back up to 48-44 on a pair of free throws by Thomas at the 5:59 mark.
  • The visitors then went on a 9-0 run to take its largest lead of the game at 53-48 with 2:41 remaining.
  • Following a miss, McKnight went to the hole and converted on a three-point play and Robinson hit a three to give the Eagles back the lead at 54-53.
  • CU hit a pair of free throws to go back on top, and after a layup by Thomas, and a three by Cornell, McKnight hit a jumper in the paint to tie the score at 58 with 30 ticks left to send the game into overtime.
  • Cornell opened the extra session on a 5-1 run as Jimmy Boeheim hit two free throws and a three, but McKnight hit a layup and Thomas drained a pair of free throws to tie the score at 63 with 2:05 to go.
  • After a Cornell miss, McKnight found Thomas with a great pass inside and Thomas tipped in his own miss to put Coppin up, 65-63.
  • At the other end, McKnight forced a turnover and fed Robinson for a three from the wing, giving Coppin a 68-63 lead with 43 seconds left.
  • Cornell made it interesting with a three at the other end and had a chance to tie the score after CSU missed a pair of free throws but came up short on a pair of jumpers in the closing seconds.