A Giant Step for Coppin State

Coppin State had no history, no tradition, and, supposedly, no chance. Instead, one of the smallest schools in the NCAA toppled a giant.

The Eagles, who had never won an NCAA tournament game, pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the tournament’s 59-year history by stunning second-seeded South Carolina, 78-65, in the first round of the East Regional Friday.

“We believed. We always believed,” said Danny Singletary, who put Coppin State ahead for good with six minutes remaining and finished with 22 points.

It was only the third time a No. 15 seed has defeated a No. 2 seed. Neither of the other two teams to do it--Richmond against Syracuse in 1991 or Santa Clara over Arizona in 1993--was overwhelming an underdog as Coach Ron “Fang” Mitchell’s Eagles from Baltimore.

This game wasn’t expected to be close. It wasn’t. The Eagles (22-8), as much as 30-point underdogs, took the lead at 55-54 on a basket by Singletary with 6:12 to play, and steadily built the lead down the stretch.

South Carolina (24-8), the regular-season Southeastern Conference champion in the Eastern Division, had defeated Kentucky twice while winning 19 of its last 22 and was regarded as a likely Final Eight team--except by Mitchell, who talked openly Thursday of what he called “felling the giant.”

The upset was all the more remarkable because of Coppin State’s string of blowout losses to the better Division I teams this season. The Eagles lost on the road to Oklahoma by 24, Nebraska by 16 and Illinois by 36.

Friday’s victory was the first in the NCAA tournament for Coppin State’s conference, the Mid-Eastern Athletic.

Texas 71, Wisconsin 58--Reggie Freeman emerged from a shooting slump to score 31 points as the 10th-seeded Longhorns (17-11) defeated the seventh-seeded Badgers (18-10).

Freeman, who had made only 29 of his previous 105 shots (27.6%), finished 11 of 19 as the Longhorns’ superior quickness wore down Wisconsin.

New Mexico 59, Old Dominion 55--The 14th-seeded Monarchs (22-11) blew three chances to tie the game in the last two minutes, the last on E.J. Sherrod’s off-balance eight-foot shot with three seconds left.

Kenny Thomas, a 73% free-throw shooter, missed two with the third-seeded Lobos (25-7) leading, 57-55. But he made his next two to clinch the victory.

Louisville 65, Massachusetts 57--The sixth-seeded Cardinals (24-8) rallied against the eleventh-seeded Minutemen (19-14) in the second half as DeJuan Wheat had three three-point baskets and freshman Nate Johnson made nine of 10 free throws.