Eagles top Morgan for 2nd win
differently.
“The guys that played tonight are the eight, nine guys we feel as though give us the best opportunity to have the most success on the defensive end,” Dixon said after his first taste of the city rivalry. “If we defend the way we did ... and we can make a couple of shots, we give ourselves a chance to have some success and end games with wins.”
Junior forward Chad AndrewsFulton (Baltimore City CC), junior wing Lamar Morgan and senior guard Karonn Davis each had an efficient 20-plus points for Coppin State (2-19, 2-4 MEAC), including 11 total in the decisive overtime period.
But the Eagles, up 59-58 late in regulation, had their chances to end it before then. One possession ended with an air ball as the shot clock crept toward zero. The next possession was a Coppin State fast break — until an ill-advised, caught-in-the-air pass jump-started a fast break the other way, and a trip to the foul line for Kendley.
But Kendley missed the front end of the one-and-one, and the next time down, Morgan elevated for a contested 3-pointer. All of his makes had barely rattled the rim. This one was so off line, it bounced off the backboard — and in for a 62-58 lead.
“They knew my time would come,” Morgan said of his teammates finding him for seven of Coppin State’s eight 3-pointers and a team-high 24 points. “And now it’s starting to show.”
Kendley hit a pair of free throws to cut the score in half, but stops remained scarce. Morgan, drawing attention from beyond the arc, found Andrews-Fulton cutting to the rim on a pick-and-roll, and the forward coolly dropped in a floater to restore the lead to four.
Carr kept the Bears (7-12, 3-3) close, then got them even. After he hit two free throws, it was 64-62. Morgan turned it over on Coppin State’s would-be nail-in-the-coffin possession, and Morgan State coach Bozeman had time to draw up an end-game play as the officials confirmed their call. The first option was Kendley, who missed on a tough drive, but there was Carr afterward, cleaning up the mess and drawing a foul with 6.1 seconds remaining. He hit one free throw, then the allimportant second, silencing the announced 2,100 on hand, a season high.
Davis’ look at a buzzer-beating floater, after a mad dash downcourt, was clean. But it bounced high off the back rim and away, the score still even, 64-64. Five minutes later, the Eagles had won for the second time in four games, while the Bears had lost their third straight.
“Every guy, [Nos.] 1 through 13, we prepared and we got ready for this game,” said Davis, who had 22 points, six assists and one turnover in 44 minutes. “We knew it was going to be a dogfight.” MORGAN ST. (7-12): Carr 1-5 4-4 6, Sykes 0-1 0-1 0, Cameron 6-19 0-0 12, Kendley 10-26 5-12 26, S.Davis 5-10 3-4 13, Syfax 3-6 0-0 7, Staley 0-0 0-0 0, McCray-Pace 1-2 2-2 4, Rawls 0-1 0-0 0, Gillespie 2-2 0-0 5. Totals 28-72 14-23 73. COPPIN ST. (2-19): Council 2-6 1-2 5, Andrews-Fulton 7-9 7-12 21, Drummond 1-3 0-0 3, K.Davis 7-14 8-10 22, Morgan 8-15 1-2 24, Hardwick 0-0 0-0 0, Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, Auslander 0-6 1-2 1, Brownlee 0-2 2-2 2, Fair 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 25-55 22-32 80. Halftime—25-25. End Of Regulation—Tied 64. 3-Point Goals— Morgan St. 3-17 (Gillespie 1-1, Syfax 1-3, Kendley 1-7, Cameron 0-1, Carr 0-1, McCray-Pace 0-1, Sykes 0-1, S.Davis 0-2), Coppin St. 8-25 (Morgan 7-12, Drummond 1-1, Council 0-1, Brownlee 0-1, Auslander 0-5, K.Davis 0-5). Fouled Out—Andrews-Fulton, Morgan, Drummond, Syfax, Carr, Sykes. Rebounds—Morgan St. 33 (Cameron, Syfax 6), Coppin St. 37 (Andrews-Fulton, Morgan 9). Assists—Morgan St. 10 (Cameron, Kendley 3), Coppin St. 13 (K.Davis 6). Total Fouls—Morgan St. 29, Coppin St. 26. A—2,100 (4,100).