NORFOLK, Va. (Courtesy of NSU Athletics) – Norfolk State guard Christian Ings pulled out all the theatrics in his return from the flu on Saturday, scoring 21 points to lead the Spartans to a 92-69 blowout win over Coppin State.

Brian Moore Jr. added 19 points for Norfolk State (12-7, 3-0 MEAC) on a 7-of-7 shooting day, while Jalen Myers tallied 18 points and eight rebounds. NSU shot 61.8 percent from the floor against the Eagles (2-15, 1-2), the team’s most efficient offensive performance of the season.

Ings scored five of Norfolk State’s first seven points, hitting a tough layup and a 3-pointer. The Spartans jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead, stifling the Eagles with a strong defensive effort.

Jonathan Dunn hit a 3-pointer before Peter Oduro scored at the rim to pull Coppin State within one. Baskets from Ings, Sin’Cere McMahon, and Kuluel Mading within a span of a few possessions helped the Spartans regain control on the scoreboard.

A pair of triples from Coppin State guard Julius Ellerbe III helped the Eagles claw their way back into the ballgame. Moore connected from deep soon after, though, before an and-one layup from Ings pushed the gap to double digits.

The Spartans began to pile up momentum, getting into the paint at will. NSU held a 14-point advantage when Elerbe III exited the game with a flagrant foul, sparking another Spartan burst. Norfolk State ended the half on a blazing run, capped off by Moore’s one-footed 3-pointer at the horn, sending NSU to the break with a 53-32 lead.

Myers got the Spartans going in the second half, hitting a mid-range jumper before logging a putback dunk a couple of minutes later. Mading added a two-handed slam on the Spartans’ next possession.

The Spartans made it three dunks in a row moments later, saving the best for last. Ings stole the ball from a driving Eagle, took the ball from end-to-end in a blur, before soaring above an opposing defender for a rim-rocking jam with his off-hand.

MAMA Ings puts it on his head!!!

14:25 2H | @NSUSpartans 63, CSU 43 #GoldStandard pic.twitter.com/dd1YPZeWce– Norfolk State Men’s Basketball (@NSU_BBALL) January 11, 2025

The play sent Echols Hall into pandemonium as both the crowd and Spartan bench erupted in excitement. On the scoreboard, the sequence put Norfolk State ahead 63-41 with no signs of slowing down.

Christian. Ings. It’s electric in Echols#GoldStandard pic.twitter.com/Vu53n8fkCm– Norfolk State Men’s Basketball (@NSU_BBALL) January 11, 2025

Ings scored his final points of the night with over 12 minutes to play, pulling up for a cold-blooded 3-pointer. Chris Fields Jr. fought through multiple defenders moments later, scoring the basket with a foul for an old fashioned 3-point play.

Dramane Camara got in on the action late in the game, knocking down a shot from the top of the key. Moore scored the last points of the evening for the Spartans, putting the final touches on the dominant conference victory.

Checking The Box Score

  • Christian Ings led the Spartans with 19 points and four assists, shooting 7-of-10 from the floor
  • Brian Moore Jr. added 19 points on a 7-of-7 shooting day to go with four assists
  • Jalen Myers posted 18 points and eight rebounds, while Kuluel Mading tallied 12 points on a 6-of-7 shooting performance
  • Norfolk State shot 34-of-55 from the floor (61.8 percent), shooting 65.5 percent in the first half
  • The Spartans outscored Coppin State 48-34 in the paint
  • Norfolk State never trailed on Saturday

News & Notes

  • Norfolk State improved to 12-7 with the win, 3-0 in MEAC play
  • Coppin State dropped to 2-15 with the loss, 1-2 in the MEAC
  • Norfolk State now leads the all-time series with CSU 43-15
  • NSU has now won nine of its last 10 matchups with Coppin State
  • Norfolk State shot 34-of-55 from the floor (61.8 percent), the Spartans’ most efficient offensive performance of the season

UP NEXT

Norfolk State hits the road to face Morgan State on Monday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m., looking to remain undefeated in conference play.

Five Spartans scored in double-figures as the Norfolk State women’s basketball team picked up an 82-66 win against Coppin State on Saturday afternoon at Echols Hall.

Senior forward Kierra Wheeler led the Spartans with 19 points, adding 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block to her totals.

Anjanae Richardson (18), Diamond Johnson (15), Da’Brya Clark (13), and Makoye Diawara (11) also scored in double-figures in the win.

The two teams opened the contest trading baskets back and forth with Clark draining a pair of free throws with four minutes left in the first quarter to gain a one-point lead. Johnson extended the NSU advantage to four points with a 3-pointer on the next possession. Coppin State ended the first quarter on a 7-0 run to gain the 14-12 edge.

Richardson sparked the Spartans’ start in the second quarter with a coast-to-coast and-one driving layup. The Eagles kept fighting, gaining a three-point advantage with 8:41 left to play before halftime, following a 3-pointer from Niyah Gaston.

NSU went on an 8-2 run from there, capped off by a Wheeler bucket right under the hoop with 6:37 left in the half. Wheeler drained a layup with 31 seconds left in the half before Clark made a 3-pointer as time expired to give NSU a 37-31 lead entering halftime.

Norfolk State opened the second half on a 9-2 run to build its largest lead of the third quarter behind a steal from Wheeler, leading to a fastbreak layup on the other end from Diawara.

Coppin State trimmed the Norfolk State advantage down to single digits with 3:54 left to play in the third with a 3-pointer from Angel Jones. The Eagles continued to chip away at the deficit, but Johnson had other ideas, draining a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to give NSU a 58-48 edge heading into the final quarter.

Neither team could gain momentum at the beginning of the fourth quarter, with both teams trading baskets for the first three minutes of the quarter. A pair of free throws from Diawara put NSU up by 13 with 7:21 left to play.

NSU used a key 7-0 run down the stretch of the game to help the Spartans pick up a 82-66 victory over the Eagles.

Checking the Box Score

News & Notes

  • Norfolk State improved to 15-4 with the win (3-0 in the MEAC)
  • Coppin State fell to 11-8 with the loss (2-1 in the MEAC)
  • NSU extended its home winning streak to 20 straight games
  • Coppin State still leads the all-time series 30-19
  • Norfolk State has now won the last six meetings against Coppin State
  • Five Spartans scored in double-figures for the first time since the team achieved the feat on Jan. 6, 2024 against South Carolina State

Up Next
Norfolk State will travel to Baltimore, Md., on Monday, Jan. 13 to take on Morgan State at 5:30 p.m.