Coppin State men’s basketball team fell 68-51 to George Mason on Friday night at EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia. After trailing by 23 points at halftime, the Eagles outscored the Patriots 28-22 in the second half but could not overcome the deficit. Coppin State dropped to 0-2 on the season, while George Mason improved to 2-0.
Tafara Gapare Leads Coppin State in Scoring
Tafara Gapare led Coppin State with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting, including two 3-pointers. Brendan Johnson and Malik Shackleford each added eight points, and Camaren Sparrow recorded a team-high four rebounds. Johnson and Daveyon Lydner combined for four of Coppin State’s seven assists.
Baasil Saunders ended a scoring drought with a jumper during the first half, but George Mason continued to extend its lead before taking a 46-23 advantage into halftime.
George Mason Takes Advantage of Turnovers and Paint Scoring
George Mason shot 45.1% from the field compared with 38.3% for Coppin State. The Patriots also converted 19 of 25 free throws, while Coppin State made 11 of 14. George Mason scored 23 points off 18 Coppin turnovers and held advantages of 17-2 in fast-break points and 36-12 in points in the paint.
Coppin State held George Mason to seven field goals in the second half and made seven of their own. All 14 of Coppin State’s free-throw attempts came in the second half, but the team could not erase the early deficit.
Next Game for Coppin State
Coppin State will host Cheyney at 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 9, at PEC Arena in an Education Day game. It will be the Eagles’ first home game of the season.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Coppin State’s second-half response provided a bright spot in a difficult opening road loss. The Eagles matched George Mason with seven field goals in the period and outscored the Patriots by six points.
The 23-point halftime deficit, 18 turnovers and George Mason’s advantages in the paint and transition ultimately determined the result. Coppin State will next try to build on its second-half performance when Cheyney visits PEC Arena.
Source: Original report
