BALTIMORE, Md. – Freshman
Chance Graham notched her second double-double of the season with ten points and ten rebounds in a 61-45 victory over crosstown rival Morgan State University on Saturday, January 28th in the Physical Education Complex.
Coppin State improves to 4-15 overall and 4-3 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference play while Morgan State drops to 2-18 overall and 0-7 in MEAC play.
Four Eagles scored in double figures led by senior
Keena Samuels' game-high 14 points. Samuels made five shots from the field and 4-of-6 free-throws. Graduate
Tiara Goode scored 11 points and had seven rebounds hitting 4-of-6 free-throws and a three-pointer. Red-shirt junior
Genesis Lucas also scored 11 points and dished out a team-high four assists with five rebounds. Junior
Candice Beverly added nine points, five rebounds and two steals while graduate
Vanessa Neal paced the Eagles bench with six points.
Graham scored eight points in the opening quarter lifting the Eagles to an early advantage over the Bears in the first of two meetings between the rivals. Coppin State came out shooting 47-percent from the field on nine field goals in the first quarter. Morgan State struggled with six turnovers and 5-of-12 made shots from the field. The Eagles led by as many as 14 points in the quarter, but the Bears trimmed the deficit to nine (21-12) heading into the second period.
Lucas and Samuels were the only Eagles to register field goals in the second quarter with the offense not as hot as they were early on. Morgan State outscored Coppin State 13-9 in the quarter, but the Eagles controlled the boards 12-10. The Bears were fortunate to keep within single digits throughout the period as the Eagles rolled into halftime ahead, 30-25.
Goode went 3-for-4 from the charity stripe and Neal drained a shot from beyond three-point territory in the third period. Morgan State battled back and took their first lead of the game at the 7:13 mark of the quarter. Two minutes later Neal's three-pointer gave the Eagles back the lead 34-33. In the final minute Goode made three free-throws giving the Eagles a 38-35 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Coppin State kept things rolling in the final ten minutes of action outscoring the Bears 23-10. Samuels and Goode combined for 14 points while the Eagles defense held the Bears to 33-percent (4-12) shooting in the fourth quarter. After a layup by Samuels at the 5:18 mark extended the CSU advantage to double-digits (50-40), the Eagles cruised to victory in the end 61-45.
Morgan State's top scorer was Braennan Farrar with ten points. Jihayah Chavis added seven points and Tykyrah Williams scored eight points.
CSU's Goode tied a season-high with four made free-throws on a season-high six attempts.
Chance Graham recorded a season-high two assists and attempted a season-high eight free-throws while
Candice Beverly tied a career-high with two steals.
Coppin State hits the road for their next two games beginning with Hampton University on Monday, January 30th in Virginia at 5:30 p.m. and then will head to Princess Anne, MD to battle the Maryland Eastern Shore at 2 p.m.
