Eagles WBB Host NC A&T This Saturday

Coppin State (2-13, 2-1) takes on North Carolina A&T (5-11, 1-2) in the Physical Education Complex on Saturday (2 p.m. ET). The Aggies lead the all-time series with the Eagles 33-30 and won the 2016 MEAC Women's Basketball Tournament in their last meeting (65-46) on Mar. 12, 2016.
                EAGLES-AGGIES SERIES: Last season, Coppin State picked up a 65-59 victory at home in the PEC thanks to a previous career-high scoring night by Keena Samuels. Samuels scored 25 points on 8-of-15 made field goals and 9-of-12 free-throws. CSU led 20-5 after the first quarter and the game was tight down the stretch. In the disappointing double-digit defeat in the championship game of the MEAC Tournament (65-46), Samuels had a team-high 20 points. The Aggies outscored the Eagles 15-5 in the final quarter.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Eagles dropped their first MEAC contest of the season to the Wildcats (71-52). Senior guard Keena Samuels set a new career-high with 27 points scoring 16 first half points finishing with a career-best ten made field goals. The Eagles tied a season-high with 13 steals paced by red-shirt junior Genesis Lucas four steals. The Wildcats made 24 free-throws shooting 77% from the charity stripe.
 
EAGLES AMONGST THE MEAC RANKINGS
Genesis Lucas ranks in the MEAC top-10 in nine different categories; seventh in the conference in scoring (13.2), third in assists (3.9), fourth in steals (2.7), sixth in free-throw percentage (.766), fourth in steals (2.5), eighth in three-point field goal percentage (.317), tied for sixth in three-point field goals made per game (1.7), fourth in assist/turnover ratio (0.9) and seventh in minutes played (33.8) per game.
Keena Samuels ranks 12th in scoring (13.2), 14th in field goal percentage (.364), 11th in free-throw percentage (.735) and sixth in steals (1.9).
Tiara Goode is 26th in scoring (9.4) and fourth in three-point field goals made per game (1.7).
Chance Graham is eighth in rebounding (7.1), 15th in blocked shots (0.7), seventh in offensive rebounds (3.1) and tied for 12th in defensive rebounds (4.0).
Oluwaseun Adeniji is 12th in blocked shots (0.8).
 
ABOUT NC A&T
North Carolina A&T (5-11, 1-2) is coming off a loss at home to Maryland Eastern Shore last Saturday (60-57). Two are scoring in double figures led by Dana Brown (13.0 ppg) and Aliyah Kilpatrick (10.8 ppg). Brown ranks eight in MEAC scoring and first in three-point field goals made (49) while Kilpatrick is 18^th in MEAC scoring, first in assists/turnover ratio (1.5) second in steals (2.9), and fifth in assists (3.1).
 
LUCAS NAMED MEAC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Genesis Lucas was named co-Player of the Week for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced on Monday, January 9th after averaging 25.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.0 steals per game in a pair of MEAC wins over South Carolina State and Florida A&M. She finished with a game-high 24 points, eight assists and four steals leading Coppin State women's basketball to their first victory of the season vs. SCSU. Then Lucas set a new career-high with 27 points against the Rattlers on ten shots from the field, four free-throws and three three-pointers. She also dished out a game-high five assists and led the defense with four steals.
 
GRAHAM RECEIVES SECOND MEAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK HONORS
Chance Graham was named Rookie of the Week for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the second time this season announced on Monday, January 9th after she led the Eagles in rebounding averaging 9.0 per game in a pair of MEAC wins over South Carolina State and Florida A&M. She tied her season-high of 11 rebounds for the third time this season against SCSU and also scored eight points. She earned her first ROW honors on Monday, Nov. 14th. after averaging a double-double of 10.0 points and 10.0 rebounds against VCU and Virginia. She registered 13 points, nine rebounds, two steals, one block and one assist against Virginia.
 
ALL-TIME ASSISTS
Genesis Lucas climbs up to seventh in school history in career assist totals with 259. As a sophomore she dished out 130 and as a freshman 82. Now in her third season she has 47 thus far, and will look to pass No. 6 Liesha Mitchell (266) next.
 
MILESTONES
Senior Keena Samuels scored her 700^th point in her career at Coppin State finishing with a career-high 27 points last game at Bethune-Cookman. She is currently only 2 rebounds shy of 200 total rebounds.
Graduate Vanessa Neal passed the 100 point scoring mark of her career two games ago in their home win over South Carolina State. She currently has 103 points.
 
UP NEXT
Coppin State heads to Washington, DC on Monday, January 16^th for a meeting with the Howard Bison at 2 p.m. The Eagles trail the all-time series with the Bison 38-28 and won the first of two meetings last season on the road 83-67 on January 9, 2016 before losing at home 71-69 on Feb. 13, 2016.