Howard advanced to an above .500 record after taking out the Coppin State Eagles, 77-60, on Feb. 14 in Baltimore, Md.
The win pushed the Bison to a 13-12 overall record, 7-4 against the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), currently good enough for third place in the MEAC standings. Meanwhile, Coppin State lingers near the bottom of the conference standings with a 5-20 overall record, 4-8 against the MEAC.
Coppin State made the game interesting early on, despite the loss. The Eagles were hot from the three-point line, making 7-of-13 three-point attempts in the first half. The lead exchanged 14 times within the first 20 minutes of the game, but Howard eventually began to pull away with a 7-0 scoring run right before halftime.
Howard’s senior forward James Carlton ignored Coppin’s defense, scoring at will inside the paint and finishing with a game-high 27 points and 13 rebounds. Carlton was followed by sophomore guard James Daniel, who scored 18 points.
Coppin State’s senior guard Taariq Cephas led his team with 18 points, and junior guard Sterling Smith added 17 points.
Next: Howard heads to Eastern Shore, Md., to take on UMES (14-13 overall, 7-5 MEAC) on Feb. 16, followed by a Feb. 21 showdown with Savannah State (6-18 overall, 2-8 MEAC) in Savannah, Ga.
Coppin State will travel to Delaware to face Delaware State (12-13 overall, 6-4 MEAC) on Feb. 16, then hosts Norfolk State (16-11 overall, 9-3 MEAC) on Feb. 21.