DURHAM, N.C. – In a matchup that featured cold shooting and a combined 55 fouls, Coppin State's women's basketball team fell at MEAC rival North Carolina Central, 60-52, on Saturday afternoon at McDougald-McLendon Arena. Coppin falls to 3-13 overall and 2-2 in the MEAC while Central moves to 4-12 with a 2-1 mark in conference play.
Coppin led 27-20 at the half while making 9-of-13 shots from the free throw line but shooting just 29.6% from the field. The cold shooting from the floor continued in the second half as Coppin was held to 1-of-16 from the floor in the third and 5-of-20 in the fourth for a combined 16.7% in the second half.
Free throw struggles also started up for Coppin in the second half as the team went nearly 12 full minutes in the second half without a field goal as well. The Navy & Gold made just 13-of-25 (52.0%) shots from the stripe in the second half.
Genesis Lucas led Coppin with 16 points while making 6-of-8 from the stripe.
Candice Beverly added 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists while
Oluwadamilola Oloyede notched a double-double with ten points and 11 rebounds in her return to the lineup after missing the last couple games.
The first quarter featured five ties with Coppin going into the second with a 16-14 lead and holding Central to just six second-quarter points to take a seven point lead at the half.
Both teams struggled from the floor in the third as 17 of the 31 combined points came at the line but Central was able to make five shots from the floor to take a 40-38 lead after three.
Central scored the first 10 points of the fourth quarter to take a 12 point lead before
Maraiyah Smith ended Coppin's streak from the field with a layup with 4:07 left. Coppin was able to cut the deficit to as little as six points on a pair of free throws by Lucas with 2:13 left but was unable to get back over the hump.
NC Central, who got a game-high 19 points by
Rodneysha Martin, outshot Coppin, 30.0% to 22.2% and held a 59-41 advantage on the glass with 15 second-chance points. Free throws hurt Coppin as they took a season-high 38 on the day, compared to 29 for Central, but made just 22 (57.9%).
Coppin returns to action on Monday, January 15 at North Carolina A&T.
