Delaware State

The little things loomed large for Coppin State, one of the smallest teams in Division I. The Eagles played well enough to beat most members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference yesterday, but inaccurate free-throw shooting, careless turnovers and poor rebounding at the defensive end kept them from overtaking MEAC favorite Delaware State, a 54-49 winner at Coppin Center. Coppin State (3-12, 1-2) made just six of its 16 free throws. It allowed Delaware State (5-9, 2-0) to convert 10 offensive rebounds in the second half into 13 points.

Stump Mitchell wanted to deliver for the Morgan State alums who have answered his challenge of providing more scholarships, a bigger staff and better facilities.In return, the school's football coach offered a winning season -- the first in 19 seasons -- and tomorrow was to be its showcase, homecoming against Delaware State at a new and sparkling Ravens stadium. Instead, when the game kicks off at 3: 30 p.m., Morgan State will be looking for its first win of the year and its first homecoming win since 1980.

Brian Parker's 26 points led four players in double figures as Delaware State defeated Morgan State, 83-73, yesterday in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game in Dover, Del.Reggie Stevens chipped in 15 points for the Hornets (7-13, 5-7), while Terence Hood had 14 and Steve Little added 10. Tremaine Byrd led Morgan State (7-14, 7-6) with 22 points.The Bears led 40-31 at halftime, but Delaware State rallied by shooting a blistering 67 percent (18-for-27) from the field in outscoring Morgan by 19 in the second half.

Silesia Stevens scored a career-high 14 points as Towson University rolled to a 75-53 women's non-conference win over Bucknell yesterday at the Towson Center.Towson is off to its best start since 1994, when it finished the season 17-11.The Tigers never trailed after Sonia Keiner (10 points) made a three-pointer just 12 seconds into the game. The Tigers (7-4) held a three-point lead midway through the first half before going on a 13-1 run to lead 41-30 at halftime.Towson ended any threat by the Bison (6-7)

It wasn't a picturesque game by any means, but Morgan State will take it, however it looked.In a battle of attrition at Baltimore City Community College last night, the Bears rallied in the second half and outlasted Delaware State, 80-68, before 500 fans.The victory pulled Morgan (3-11, 3-3) even in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference after a one-sided loss Saturday to Coppin ,, State at the Bears' "home away from home" while Hill Field House is being renovated."We extended the defense and tried to turn it into a 94-foot game," said Bears coach Chris Fuller, whose team launched a 14-2 run after trailing 41-37 early in the second half.

For much of Morgan State's homecoming game with Delaware State yesterday before 25,180 at Ravens stadium -- the first college game at the facility -- Bears fans saw what they should have expected from a game featuring a pair of 0-6 teams: iffy football.In the end, however, they got what they were hoping for -- the first homecoming win in 18 years. They also got something they had no reason to expect in a game against a team giving up 50 points per game: drama.Two second-half touchdowns and a key stop at the end produced a 15-13 victory for the Bears (1-6 overall, 1-4 MEAC)

DOVER, Del. -- Fang Mitchell's patience was wearing extremely thin.Coppin State had played its worst game of the season in its HTC previous start against Sam Houston State, and the game against Delaware State had started like it would be a replay.So, Mitchell made what guard Danny Singletary labeled "a pretty intense speech" at halftime yesterday, and the Eagles soared to a 52-point second half and a 79-66 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory."It was one of the most aggressive speeches I've had to make this year," said Mitchell, whose team has beaten the Hornets 14 straight times.

Javan Steadman scored a game-high 23 points and had eight assists to lead Delaware State to a 78-58 win yesterday over Morgan State in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game in Dover, Del.Brian Walker added 21 points and Chris Nurse 11 for the Hornets (6-17, 6-9), who won their third straight. The Bears (6-17, 5-10) lost their fifth in a row.Delaware State led 26-21 at halftime and 41-38 with 11: 44 remaining before a 12-6 spurt increased the Hornets' lead to 53-44 on a free throw by Nurse, who had 16 rebounds.

Terquin Mott scored 25 points and Antoine Brockington added 21 to lead Coppin State to a 90-83 overtime win over Delaware State in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball game last night.Coppin State pulled away in the overtime, scoring 10 of the game's final 14 points.Trailing 35-28 at halftime, the Eagles (11-7, 8-2) went on a 14-5 run to open the second half, taking the lead at 42-40 on a layup by Danny Singletary with 15 1/2 minutes remaining. Delaware State (3-14, 3-6) sent the game into overtime on a shot by Terence Hood with eight seconds remaining.

About 550 fans and one unpaid visitor watched Morgan State return to Hill Field House yesterday, and Tremaine Byrd was familiar with the winged beast that came in from the cold."

Anthony Glaud threw two touchdown passes and ran for a touchdown as host Delaware State broke Morgan State's five-game winning streak with a 35-22 victory Saturday. Glaud's 4-yard run put the Hornets (2-5) ahead of the Bears 7-5 with 9:53 left in the second quarter. Jaashawn Jones added a 4-yard scoring run, and Glaud's 30-yard touchdown pass with four seconds left in the half gave Delaware State a 21-12 halftime lead. Glaud added a 9-yard touchdown pass with 2:43 left in the third quarter.

Today's state games Morgan State (5-1) at Delaware State (1-5) Time: 1 p.m. Radio: 88.9 FM Series record: Morgan leads 30-22 Last meeting: Morgan won, 20-3, on Oct. 25, 2008 What's at stake: The Bears may be 5-1, but they've yet to be challenged. The teams Morgan has played are 10-26 overall, and today marks the end of that cushy schedule. The last four games will test Morgan's mettle in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, but for now, figure the Bears to beat Delaware State. The Hornets, fresh off a 63-6 licking by Michigan, have a flimsy defense that is allowing 495 yards per game.

Christian "Chris" Godwin, a veteran newspaper copy editor who earned the sobriquet "Capt. Deadline" from newsroom colleagues during his more-than-30-year career, died Saturday of metastatic cancer at Hospice of Queen Anne's County in Centreville. He was 49 and lived in Dover, Del. Mr. Godwin, a fourth-generation newsman, was born in Miami, and moved with his family to Anchorage, Alaska, where his father was an FBI agent and his mother was an editor on The Anchorage Times. While a 14-year-old student at West Anchorage High School, Mr. Godwin began working as a copyboy for the Associated Press bureau chief in Anchorage.

Jean Cajou scored 21 points last night as Mount St. Mary's (18-12) won, 72-62, against Wagner (16-14) in the opening round of the Northeast Conference tournament. The Mount hosts Sacred Heart in Sunday's semifinal. Delaware State 74, UMES 60: : Donald Johnson scored a career-high 31 points and the visiting Hornets (8-23, 6-10 Mid-Eastern Athletic) ended a four-game losing streak in the regular-season finale. Neal Pitt had 22 points for the Hawks (7-22, 3-13). Top 25 men No. 11 Villanova 97, Providence 80: : Scottie Reynolds scored 23 points and helped the Wildcats (25-6, 13-5)

Coppin State 72, Delaware State 65 - Michael Harper scored 21 points, and Mike Buckley added a career-high 17 to lead visiting Coppin State to a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference victory over Delaware State yesterday. Harper reached double figures in scoring for the sixth straight game and finished the contest 8-for-15 from the field, including 5-for-9 from three-point territory. He added three rebounds, three blocked shots and a steal. Buckley had his second straight double-figure scoring game and hit several key baskets down the stretch in helping the Eagles (6-15, 4-4)

I hate playing the hoops grinch, Bill, but Maryland's 8-2 start will mean very little once the Terps hit the ACC. If you look closely, those Christmas stockings, like the team's frontcourt, have some pretty large holes to patch. Although the early-season start is a lot better than last year's, when the Terps lost six games before Christmas and home defeats by American and Ohio helped drop their RPI into triple digits, reality will set in once the ACC season begins. Sure, Maryland has built a bit of a swagger with its victories over Michigan and Michigan State, but last I checked, the Terps are still playing in the ACC and not the Big Ten. Maryland is the only ACC team that has yet to play on another team's home court, and it won't do so until mid-January.

COLLEGE PARK - A year ago, a distracted Maryland men's basketball team came into its last game before final exams dismissing its opponent. Not only did the Terps lose to Ohio that night, but they also lost to American in their first game after finals. Last night, Maryland was neither distracted by nor dismissive of Delaware State. The Terps came out firing from all distances and scoring with ease. Maryland built its lead to double digits in the first seven minutes, to as many as 23 points in the first half and cruised to an 86-58 victory before a Comcast Center crowd that was announced at 17,014 but could not have been more than 5,000.

BB&T slide ends Before last night's Maryland win over George Washington, 76-53, in the BB&T Classic, the Terps (6-2) had lost four straight (including two to the Colonials) in the Washington showcase dating to Dec. 5, 2004. Hot hands The Terps shot 58 percent (7-for-12) from three-point range in the first half on their way to a comfortable 19-point halftime lead, and George Washington never threatened the rest of the game. Cooling heels For the second game in a row, Maryland sophomore center Braxton Dupree essentially sat. He was held out of the previous game against Michigan after missing a class.

Even with a 27-point win, Maryland women's coach Brenda Frese was upset with her team's lack of consistency. Marah Strickland scored 14 points and No. 3 Maryland rebounded from a stunning opening-game loss to beat Delaware State, 73-46, yesterday. "We played well in spurts. The disappointing thing is that we lost a lot of effort and intensity in the second half," Frese said. "There are areas where we need to improve and we don't have a lot of time to fix and correct." Marissa Coleman and freshman Lynetta Kizer added 13 points each as the Terps (1-1)

Memories of last season's heartbreaking loss to Delaware State were still etched in the minds of many of Morgan State's players and coaches when the teams met yesterday for the Bears' homecoming. In that game, the Hornets stunned Morgan State with a 100-yard fumble recovery in the fourth quarter that proved to be the game-winning touchdown. The Bears exorcised that game from their minds yesterday by playing mistake-free in a 20-3 victory over the defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions before an announced 6,312.