2014-15 DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL NOTES
“HORNETS” (14-16; 8-7 MEAC) vs. Coppin State “Eagles” (7-21; 6-9 MEAC)
Thu., Mar. 5, 2015 - 7:30 p.m.
Baltimore, Md. (CSU Physical Education Complex - 4,100)
Live TV: n/a
Live Audio: n/a
Live Video: n/a
Live Stats: Coppinstateeagles.com
Twitter updates: @DSUAthletics
Delaware State Head Coach Keith Walker (Clemson, '81): 19-22 at DSU (1st year, plus 11 games as interim in 2013-14); 110-124 career (9th year); 0-2 vs. Coppin State; 13-12 MEAC regular season
Coppin State Coach Michael Grant (Malone, '84): 7-21 at CSU (first year); 259-219 (16th year); 1-0 vs. DSU
THE GAME
Delaware State (14-16; 8-7 MEAC) wraps up the 2014-15 regular season at Coppin State needing a win to secure fifth place in the final MEAC standings and No. 5 seed in the upcoming conference tournament. A loss could drop the Hornets to sixth place. DSU is coming off an 85-75 victory over Hampton on Monday. Tyshawn Bell led three Hornets in double-figures with a career-high 25 points. Bell was 10-for-17 from the field, including three three-pointers. Amere May added 20 points in the contest, his seventh consecutive game with 20-or-more points. May, the MEAC's leading scorer, has reached double-figures in scoring in 20 straight games, and nailed at least one three-pointer in the last 23.
Coppin State (7-21; 6-9 MEAC) is locked in a three-way tie with Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina A&T for eighth place in the MEAC standings. The Eagles have won two of their last three games, including an 88-77 victory Morgan State in their last outing on Feb. 28. Coppin State shot 57.6% from the field (19-for-33) in the first half en route to a 51-43 lead at the break in the contest. Sterling Smith was high scorer for CSU with 21 points, highlighted by four three-point field goals. Taariq Cephas added 20 points on seven-of-11 shooting from the field, including five three-pointers. Dallas Gary contributed 18 points in the last outing, hitting six-of-seven shots from the floor.
DSU vs. COPPIN STATE SERIES HISTORY (CSU leads 44-27 )
The Hornets and Eagles are meeting for the second time this season. Coppin State won this
season's first meeting 96-92 on Feb. 21 at DSU's Memorial Hall. The Eagles led 48-36 at the break and was ahead by as many as 19 points in the second half. Sterling Smith led four Coppin State players in double-figures with 27 points, highlighted by six three-point three-point field goals. Arnold Fripp added 22 points, while Taariq Cephas contributed 15 points and a game-high eight assists for the Eagles in the first meeting with the Hornets. Delaware State's Amere May led all players with 39 points, his second-best scoring output of the season; while Kendall Gray added a career-high 25 points and 12 rebounds for the Hornets. The last time the teams met at Coppin State, the Eagles came out on top 54-53 during the 2013-14 season. Coppin State has won the last three meetings between the teams to open up a 44-27 lead in the series.
