1997: No. 15-seeded Coppin State Eagles defeats No. 2-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks
The players at Coppin State were not deterred by being listed as 30-point underdogs to the Gamecocks. “We Believed, We always believed,” said reserve guard Danny Singletary after pulling off the upset.
South Carolina dominated the SEC, finishing in first place with a 15-1 conference record. But the Gamecocks struggled taking care of the ball against Coppin State. The Eagles forced SEC regular season champs into 19 turnovers in their first-round matchup.
Coppin State pulled away in the second half by dominating the Gamecocks on the glass with a 41-30 rebounding edge. Singletary led all scorers with 22 points—powering Coppin State’s bench to 40 total points. Antoine Brockman chipped in 20 points in the Eagles’ 78-65 victory. It was the school’s first tournament win, and the first time a MEAC team advanced past the first round.
