BALTIMORE, Md. – Red-shirt junior
Genesis Lucas scored a season-high 14 points in a 72-57 loss for the Eagles in their home opener against Stephen F. Austin on Friday, Nov. 25 in the Physical Education Complex.
Coppin State (0-5) posted several season-high team stats against Stephen F. Austin (3-2) in their 2016-17 home opener. The Eagles points (57), field goals made (22), field goal percentage (.367), three-point field goals made (4), assists (13) and blocked shots (7) were all bright spots against the Lumberjacks in non-conference action. CSU's
Genesis Lucas made a career-high three three-pointers while scoring a season-high 14 points. Graduate
Vanessa Neal added nine points and three rebounds and graduate
Tiara Goode chipped in with a season-high eight points. Freshman
Chance Graham led an Eagles bench that outscored the Lumberjacks 22-21 with eight points and a team-high eight rebounds.
SFA forced 12 first quarter turnovers that turned into 17 points for their offense. The Lumberjacks had their biggest lead of the quarter (15-2) by the 5:12 mark before Lucas and the Eagles finally got things going. Lucas sparked her team with a three-pointer with 2-minutes left in the period cutting the deficit to five (17-12). She scored six early points for CSU, but the Lumberjacks built their lead back to double-digits and led 23-13 after the first quarter.
Coppin State turned things around in the next period outscoring SFA, 17-14 and trailed by only two (32-30) with 1:35 left in the first half. Lucas, Neal and Graham all had five points in the second quarter while the CSU defense held SFA to 30% shooting from the field. In the final minute, the Lumberjacks scored five points and forced one turnover as the team prepared for halftime. The Eagles were down by seven (37-30) heading into the break.
The Eagles offense struggled in the third quarter with only three made field goals and ten turnovers. Goode anchored the scoring with four points and Lucas made her third three of the afternoon, but as a team CSU went 3-for-9 from the field (33%) and SFA made 7-of-16 shots (44%). By the 1:56 mark of the period the Eagles found themselves down by double-digits (47-37) as the Lumberjacks ended the quarter on a 12-1 run and carried a 53-38 lead into the final quarter.
In the final period the Eagles increased their offensive production with eight made field goals and also outrebounded SFA 14-11. The Lumberjacks went to the free-throw line 22 times and made 13 shots while the Eagles only had six attempts from the charity stripe. Coppin State's bench combined for 11 of 19 total team points scored with freshman
Mia Crooms and junior
Candice Beverly both registering four points in the quarter. Freshman
Oluwadamilola Oloyede added the other three bench points, but SFA remained ahead by double-digits and cruised to a 15 point victory (72-57).
Junior
Oluwaseun Adeniji tied a career-high with two blocks and
Candice Beverly recorded a career-high six rebounds.
Mia Crooms scored a season-high four points making both of her attempts from the field while also notching a season-best four rebounds.
Tiara Goode scored a season-high eight points and then tied her season-best with one steal and one blocked shot.
Chance Graham had a season-high three steals.
Coppin State heads to Mount St. Mary's in nearby Emmitsburg, MD on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 7 p.m. The all-time series is tied at 1-1 with the Eagles taking last season's game (66-55) at home on Nov. 29, 2015.
