BALTIMORE, Md. – CSU got more of a fight than anticipated against Division II opponent LIU Post, but held off the feisty Pioneers in its exhibition game Saturday afternoon.
Chance Graham posted a double-double and Roberts Wesleyan transfer
Brooke Fields poured on 29 points to headline the Coppin players.
The Basics
- Final Score: Coppin State 84, LIU Post 80
- Last Season's Records: Coppin State 6-23 (5-11 MEAC) / LIU Post 22-8 (17-1 ECC)
- Location: Baltimore, MD – Physical Education Complex Arena
How It Happened
First Quarter
- LIU Post came out with a chip on its shoulder, as an Asia Turner layup with 3:21 remaining staked the Pioneers to a 21-11 ten-point lead.
- Two free throws by Brooke Fields capped off an 8-0 run for CSU, trimming the deficit to 21-19.
- Chance Graham put a stamp on the first quarter rally with a three-point play the old-fashioned way to send the Lady Eagles into the break, up 24-23.
- Fields (12) and Graham (11) made up all but one of the team's 24 first quarter points.
Second Quarter
- A layup by Maraiyah Smith and a three by Fields gave the Eagles a 5-0 run to begin the second.
- The Lady Eagles would go cold over the next three minutes, allowing LIU to crawl back within two 32-30.
- A 10-2 surge for Coppin gave the Eagles some breathing room going into the half, ahead of the Pioneers 42-32.
- CSU knocked down just under half of its shots in the first half, going 14 for 30 from the floor and knocking down 40% of its triples.
Third Quarter
- Both sides were held scoreless through the first 58 seconds of the second half, before Graham made one of two from the charity stripe.
- A layup from UDC transfer Kaiya Coleman gave Burroughs' club its largest advantage of the day, 52-34, three minutes into the third quarter.
- The Pioneers mustered together a rally, trimming the Coppin margin to seven, 60-53 with 2:44 to go.
- The Eagles would go into the home stretch ahead 11 at 66-55.
- Graham hauled in eight rebounds to reach the double-double plateau with a quarter remaining.
Fourth Quarter
- Following a quick jumper by Tsahai Corbie, The Post went to work, coming all the way back to take the lead 73-72 with three minutes and change off of a shocking 18-4 surge.
- The Pioneers advantage was short-lived however, as an Oluwadamilola Oloyede layup followed by a fast-break trey by Fields swung the game back in favor of the home team, 77-73.
- CSU and LIUP would finish the game scoring seven more points each, and the Lady Eagles escaped with an 84-80 decision.
- Post outscored Coppin 25-18 in the final frame, which kept the pressure on its MEAC counterparts.
Inside the Numbers
- Newcomer Brooke Fields (29), and returners Chance Graham (21), and Oluwadamilola Oloyede (10) all hit double-digit point totals, with Oloyede's all coming in the second half.
- Graham earned herself a double-double as she was a force on the glass with 15 rebounds. She had 11 double-doubles last season for the Eagles.
- Freshman E'Mya Price had a stellar debut in the Blue and Gold, pacing the team in steals (4) and placing second amongst the assist leaders (3).
- LIU Post had five players reach 10 or more points, led by East Coast Conference First-Teamer Sasha Patterson with 25.
- The Pioneers' Robyn Francis tallied a double-double, accounting for 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Who's Next?
- Coppin State opens the regular season on November 6 when it travels to Morgantown to face West Virginia. Tip-off will take place at 7 p.m.
