49ers vs. Coppin: What to watch for

A few things to watch for tonight when the 49ers go for their fifth straight victory in a game at Halton Arena against Coppin State (4-5):

-- Deuce Briscoe's movement off the ball: For the first time in his college career, Briscoe is coming off the bench and isn't necessarily the point guard when he does get in the game. So he's having to adjust to not having the ball in his hands all the time. Coach Alan Major says Briscoe is starting to figure out how to get open, moving and cutting off the ball to get open. Briscoe was able to do that in a recent game, breaking to the basket and taking a pass from Chris Braswell for an easy layup.

-- Javarris Barnett's defensive rebounding: Barnett is averaging a career-high 7.3 rebounds, 6.3 of them defensive (that's third in the Atlantic 10 behind Fordham's Chris Gaston and Braswell). Barnett is keeping himself between the basket and the guy he's defending, and that's making him more than just the 3-point threat that he already is for this team.

-- 3-point defense: The Eagles, who are 0-5 on the road this season, score 42 percent of their points on 3-point baskets. Led by guard Tony Gallo, they shoot 35 percent from 3-point range. Gallo scored 27 in a victory recently against Towson and makes 36.6 percent of his 3s.