After a difficult trip to Charleston, South Carolina, for the Shriners Children’s Classic, where the Mountaineers went 0-2, they had a bounce-back performance on Sunday afternoon at the Hope Coliseum. West Virginia beat the Mercyhurst Lakers by a final score of 70-38. The West Virginia defense proved to be stout once again, and the 38 points are the lowest scoring output by a team against the Mountaineers this season. At the game’s conclusion, West Virginia ranked first nationally in fewest opponent points allowed per game with 57.5. They have since been surpassed by the Northern Iowa Panthers at 55.4.
On Wednesday night, West Virginia will have another opportunity to collect a win at the Hope Coliseum before a tough challenge awaits in Charleston, West Virginia. The Mountaineers are set to play Wake Forest on Saturday evening, December 6th. But before that, the Coppin State Eagles will be in Morgantown on Wednesday night.
Coppin State Eagles
The Coppin State Eagles are out of Baltimore, Maryland, and are part of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The Eagles were picked to finish last in the preseason poll and currently sit at 2-8 on the season. Their lone wins have come against Central Penn and Rider, the worst 3-point shooting team in the nation.
Coppin State opened the season with an 83-61 loss to Maryland, a team that the Mountaineers reportedly beat in a secret scrimmage prior to the start of the season. They also have notable losses to South Florida and VCU by a combined 93 points.
Numbers to Know
Coppin State does not shoot the ball well from beyond the arc, ranking 324th nationally with a 28.7 3-point percentage.
The Eagles are averaging 15.7 turnovers per game, which is among the worst in the nation.
Players to Know
The Eagles are led by forward Demariontay Hall. The 6-foot-7 senior is averaging 10.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, leading Coppin State in both categories.
Khali Horton is a 6-foot-8 junior out of Erie, Pennsylvania, who is averaging nine points per game this season.
Point guard Hasaan Perkins, is averaging 6.2 points and 3.5 assists per game. In the Eagles' most recent loss to Loyola-Maryland, Perkins scored a team-high 19 points and dished out five assists in 37 minutes.