BALTIMORE, Md. – Behind a game-high 25 points from
Genesis Lucas, the Coppin State women's basketball team won its second-straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game with a 62-56 victory over Florida A&M on Monday night at the PEC Arena. With the win, the Eagles improve to 2-1 in the MEAC with a 3-12 overall mark while the Rattlers fall to 3-13 on the year and 1-2 in conference play.
Lucas made 8-of-19 shots from the floor and 4-of-9 from behind-the-arc. A senior from Brandywine, Md., Lucas also grabbed a career-high nine rebounds along with six assists and two steals. Lucas also became the second Eagles women's basketball player to record 400 assists in her career.
Maraiyah Smith also had a great night offensively, matching her career-high with 15 points with three baskets from downtown. It was the third-straight game that Smith reached double figures in scoring.
Candice Beverly also reached double digits in scoring with 11 while center
Alexis Taylor had a career-night with nine points and eight rebounds, both of which were career-highs. Taylor was hot from the free throw line, sinking 5-of-6 shots from the stripe.
Florida A&M got out of the gate quickly and led 12-5 with 5:15 left in the first after a three by Florence Ouattara. With the deficit at seven, the Rattlers largest of the night, Lucas made back-to-back layups and assisted on a layup by Smith to cut the lead to a single point. After a jumper by FAMU, Smith hit a three off a dime by Lucas to tie the score at 14 and Lucas hit a three with 1:31 remaining to give Coppin a 17-14 lead after one.
Lucas scored the first five points of the second quarter and following a bucket by the Rattlers,
Chance Graham hit a three to extend the lead to 25-16 with 5:21 left but Florida A&M was able to stay close and trailed by just three at the half.
Coppin controlled the pace for most of the third quarter with Lucas scoring seven points in the period and at one point the Eagles led 46-33 with five minutes to go. But, once again, Florida A&M was able to battle back and went into the final period down just seven.
The Rattlers scored the first two baskets of the fourth to cut the lead to a single basket with 8:45 left in regulation but Coppin then scored seven-straight, punctuated by a three by Lucas with 5:33 to go.
FAMU was once again able to rally within two with 2:42 remaining but a Smith jumper and three free throws by Beverly down the stretch kept the navy & Gold ahead for the win.
The matchup featured a combined 44 turnovers with the difference in the score coming at the free throw line as Coppin made 16-of-21 compared to 10-of-13 for FAMU. The Eagles held the rattlers to just 27.9% shooting while shooting 38.0% from the floor themselves.
Coppin will now go on the road for a pair of MEAC games when it travels to North Carolina Central on January 13 and North Carolina A&T on January 15.
