The No.3-seeded South Carolina State Bulldogs (17-13) and No.11-seeded Coppin State Eagles (9-21) meet in the second round of the MEAC tournament at Norfolk Scope Arena. Action starts at 6:00 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 10.
The Bulldogs come into this game on a high note after defeating Bethune-Cookman 85-72 in their last game. Eric Eaves led all scorers with 35 points on 12-for-18 shooting. The Eagles, meanwhile, are coming off a 98-91 win over North Carolina A&T in the 1. James Sylvester led the game in scoring by registering 24 points on 6-for-10 shooting.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Bulldogs won the first game 88-83. Sylvester had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 24 points, three rebounds, four assists, one block, and two three-pointers.
The Bulldogs have gone 17-13 Straight Up (SU) and 2-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 4-6 SU and perfect ATS (2-0) in their last 10 games. Expect South Carolina State to have lots of opportunities at the line against the Eagles, who are one of the most foul-prone teams in the nation with an average of 21.5 fouls per game.
On the other side, the Eagles fare well ATS, sitting at 4-2. However, they are only 9-21 SU.
The Bulldogs’ win over Coppin State in their last game wasn’t enough for them to overtake Coppin State in their recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 3-7 SU over the most recent meetings. Coppin State held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five, while South Carolina State wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Coppin, ATS Winner – Coppin
Notes
The South Carolina State Bulldogs have a defensive rating of 107.3 (ranked 96th), while the Coppin State Eagles have an offensive rating of 98.8 (ranked 299th).
South Carolina State has an average field goal percentage of 45.0%. Coppin State is an underachieving 2-15 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The South Carolina State Bulldogs rank higher based on their field goal percentage (127th) than their effective field goal percentage (174th). The Coppin State Eagles rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (341st) than their field goal percentage (349th).
The Coppin State Eagles rank 32nd in offensive rebounds. The South Carolina State Bulldogs rank 306th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
South Carolina State averages a forced turnover rate of 18.6% this season. Coppin State has a 5-7 record when it suffers a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
