ORANGEBURG, SC— Junior forward Damani Applewhite tossed in a team-high 21 points and seven rebounds including the game winning dunk, to lift South Carolina State to an , 85-84 victory over Coppin State Monday (Feb. 11^th )at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

The Bulldogs completed the season sweep over Coppin State after knocking off the Eagles earlier this season in Baltimore, MD, 70-68, on Jan.14^th. Applewhite finished with a team-high 18 points along with the game winning basket to give the Bulldogs a win.

"Wow what a finish and a way to win a tough game against a talented and well coached team such as Coppin State," said head coach Murray Garvin. "All year long every conference game came down to one possession, I am just glad we were on the winning end tonight."

"The crowd and atmosphere was amazing once again," said Garvin. "I am challenging and asking all alums to come back and support us this weekend. We need the same type of energy and support like we had previous games."

Four other Bulldogs scored double-figures with junior guard Lavar Harewood and senior point guard Janai Raynor-Powell finishing with 16 points each , while Ian Kinard and Jahmari Etienne chipped in 11 each respectively in the victory. Raynor-Powell also dished out a game-high eight assist.

South Carolina State shot a remarkable 54.5% from 3-point range connecting 12-of-22 from behind the arc, while tossing in 17-of-21 (81.0%) from the charity stripe.

The Bulldogs led 41-31 during intermission. The Eagles led by as many as six, 74-80, with 2:12 remaining in the second-half. South Carolina State rallied back to close the gap, 83-84, with 0:19 seconds left. A costly turnover by Coppin State turned the possession the Bulldogs. Applewhite threw a down monster dunk with 0:02 seconds left to seal the victory.

Dejuan Clayton led the Eagles with a game-high 30 points and six rebounds in the loss.

Next up South Carolina State host Bethune-Cookman Saturday (Feb. 12^th) in a pivotal Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference doubleheader, beginning with the women at 2 pm, followed by the men in a 4 pm start.

For more information visit www.scsuathletics.com or call the Office of Athletic Media Relations at (803) 536-7060.