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Notre Dame 104, Coppin State 67
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Notre Dame opened with 14 straight points and never looked back on the way to a 104-67 nonconference victory over Coppin State on Wednesday night at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Ind.
Forward Zach Auguste scored a game-high 21 points for the Irish (3-0), who had five players score in double figures in the first meeting between the teams.
Forward Arnold Fripp scored 14 points, and guards Sterling Smith and Taariq Cephas had 12 and 11 points, respectively, for Coppin State (0-3).
Notre Dame made 20 of 28 shots from the field (71.4 percent) in the first half as it opened a 53-23 halftime lead. Auguste, who scored seven points in the early 14-0 Irish run, joined guard Jerian Grant with a team-high nine first-half points.
Forward V.J. Beechem finished with 19 points off the bench for Notre Dame, Grant scored 15, forward Martinas Geben had 12 and guard Demetrius Jackson added 10 as the Irish finished 40 of 61 from the field (65.6 percent).
Irish guard Pat Connaughton contributed eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds.
Notre Dame plays Massachusetts on Saturday in the Hall of Fame Tipoff Tournament in Uncasville, Conn., and Coppin State is at the University of Denver on Sunday.
