Senior guard Michael Harper led five players in double figures with a season-high 19 points as Coppin State (CSU) defeated the University of Nebraska Omaha, 93-83, Dec. 30 in the Elgin Baylor Classic at Key Arena in Seattle, Wash., earning Ron “Fang” Mitchell his 400th victory as Coppin’s head coach.
Harper, who had scored just 10 points in the previous four games, was 7-of-12 from the floor and made 5-of-10 from the three-point line.
Mitchell is in his 26th season as the head coach of the Eagles and earned his 400th career win at Coppin State on his fourth try. He has 627 victories in his career, including a stint at Gloucester County College.
Coppin State improved to 5-8 with the win, scored a season-high 93 points and tied its season-high with 14 three-point baskets.
?Senior guard Tony Gallo scored 17 points for CSU, while senior forward Akeem Ellis added 16 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Senior forward Logan Wiens scored 15 points and senior forward Antonio Williams had 13 points and nine rebounds.
The Eagles used the long ball to seize control of the game early in the second half. After a three-pointer by Nebraska Omaha freshman guard CJ Carter cut the Coppin State lead to 44-43 with 17:00 to play, the Eagles responded with three straight three-pointers.
Wiens connected to push the lead to 47-43, and Gallo followed with back-to-back three-pointers giving the Eagles a 53-43 lead with 15:43 to play in the second half. After two straight layups by Williams and a dunk by Harper the Eagles held a 60-46 lead with 13:26 to play.
Nebraska Omaha (6-10) used an 18-8 run to climb to within 68-64 with 6:44 left in the game. Ellis then scored five points during a 7-0 Coppin State run that pushed the Eagle lead to 75-64 with 5:04 remaining. The Eagles took their largest lead of the game at 85-70 when Gallo connected on a jumper with 1:55 to play.
Coppin State returns to action Jan. 4, visiting Howard University in Washington, D.C.
