BALTIMORE, Md. – Redshirt senior Jalen Hawkins had a season-high 21 points while senior Joe Bryant Jr. tied his season high with a game-high 29 points to lead the Norfolk State men's basketball team to a 89-59 point win over Coppin State on the road in Baltimore, Md. in the Physical Education Center Arena. Kris Bankston had a game-high 12 rebounds to pace the Spartan defense that gave up only 59 points, the lowest allowed since 58 points against MD-Eastern Shore on January 17.
NSU got the scoreboard first with a pair of basketball redshirt junior Dana Tate Jr. to put the Spartans up 4-0. The Eagles would take the lead with 15:49 remaining in the first half off a three-pointer by Mike Hood. Less than 30 seconds later, junior Tyrese Jenkins retook the lead for NSU and made it a five-point game with 14:00 left, 10-5.
The two teams would go back and forth with the Spartans having a six-point lead on a Bryant layup with 11:36 left, but the Eagles eventually recaptured the lead at 17-16 before the NSU traded baskets with CSU having a one-point lead at 21-20 with 4:25 left in the half. It was the last lead that the Eagles would have in the contest.
The Spartans closed out the first half on a 15-2 run that saw Bryant score six and Hawkins score five, giving NSU the 35-23 halftime lead.
The Spartans opened up the second half on a 17-8 that extended the lead to 21 with just under 15 and a half minutes remaining in the game. Hawkins would immediately steal in the inbound pass and drive for a layup for his 12th point of the game. A 12-0 run by NSU from 14:58 in the second half to 12:34 remaining saw Hawkins score seven of his 21 points while junior Daryl Anderson scored three and Bryant added two.
A three-pointer by Bryant with 8:24 remaining extended the Spartan lead to nearly its peak at 77-40.
A pull-up jumper by Terrance Jones with 2:26 left in the game saw NSU have its biggest lead of the contest at 38 points, 89-51. The Eagles would score the final eight points of the game, but CSU could not overcome the Spartan lead for the final score of 89-59.
In addition to tying his season-high points, Bryant also tied a career-high six assists that he set last season against Delaware State.
NSU (18-5, 9-1 MEAC) will remain in Baltimore for its next contest on Monday, February 21 at Morgan State. The game with the Bears (8-12, 3-5 MEAC) starts at 7:30 p.m. from Hill Field House. MSU is coming off a two-point loss to Howard in the NBA-HBCU Classic in Cleveland, Ohio.
