RALEIGH, N.C. -- Tywain McKee's two free throws with 7.7 seconds remaining turned out to be the game-winning points as Coppin State held on to defeat Howard 55-54 Tuesday in the first round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament.
McKee, a two-time first-team all-MEAC selection, scored 18 points as the seventh-seeded Eagles (13-20) advanced to play No. 2 seed Hampton.
Coppin State led by as much as 44-35 with 10:58 left on a McKee jumper. But the 10th-seeded Bison (6-27) fought back and tied the game at 49 on consecutive 3-point baskets by Curtis White, who also scored 18 points. White also hit a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left for the final deficit.
Antwan Harrison added 12 points for Coppin State, which jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the opening six minutes as Howard missed its first nine shots. The Bison recovered, hitting four of their next five shots to cut the gap to 14-12 with 9:20 left in the half.
While Howard had 12 blocked shots -- Adam Walker had seven -- it also committed 20 turnovers, which led to 17 Coppin State points. The Bison also shot just 35.4 percent from the field.
