GAME NOTES
BALTIMORE, Md. – Coppin State women's basketball will be the visitors once again this Saturday, as it prepares for its sixth straight road tilt versus the Niagara Purple Eagles.
What You Need to Know
Coppin Contributors
- Coppin has undergone a treacherous non-conference schedule, playing its eight of its first nine contests on the road, including four top-25 foes and five unbeaten opponents.
- CSU has gotten huge contributions out of its star forward, Chance Graham, as she ranks 20th in the country in double-doubles with five, while leading the MEAC in rebounds per game (10.4) and being among the top-five in steals per game (2.13) and points per game (15).
- Brooke Fields has started to acclimate herself nicely to the Division 1 game, showing up amongst the conference leaders in points per contest (11.4), assists per game (2.8), free throw percentage (66.7%), and three-pointers made per game (1.4).
- Fellow Division 2 transfer, Kaiya Coleman is also getting up to speed, as she jumped into the top-ten leader board for steals per game (1.8) in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
- Freshman guard Tsahai Corbie will look to build off her first double-digit scoring performance of her young Coppin career after she put up 10 points in the team's previous game at #13 Minnesota on Wednesday night.
- With Elan Wali getting her first collegiate points in last weekend's bout with Ohio, every active Eagles player has now contributed to the stat sheet.
- 6-3 center Jalynda Salley has made her shots count, making 43.3% of her attempts from the court, which is the best mark on the navy and gold.
- Maraiyah Smith has been the definition of consistency over her past two appearances, averaging nine points while posting three rebounds, three assists and a steal in both games.
Scouting the Niagara Purple Eagles
- Niagara has stumbled to a 2-6 record out the chute here in 2018-19 with its two wins coming against Morgan State and Binghamton. The Purple Eagles will either be well-rested or rusty, as it will have had 10 days off between games prior to Saturday's matchup.
- NU's best attributes pertain to forcing turnovers and its consistency in shooting from/defending the three-point line. Niagara is one of the best in the MAAC at causing mistakes as it has created 97 turnovers over eight games. The Purple Eagles can also knock down its fair share of triples (30.3%) while preventing the opposition from doing the same, giving up only 29.3% of three-pointers against.
- Preseason All-MAAC Third Teamer Jai Moore is the one to focus on if you're Coppin State, as she boasts a team-high 14.4 points per game and is close to automatic from the free-throw line (17-19, 89.5%).
- While small in stature at 5-0, Maggie McIntyre is not to be taken lightly when she launches bombs from behind the arc. She currently ranks inside the top-50 in the NCAA for three-point percentage (46.9%) as well as three-pointers made per contest (2.88).
- McIntyre averages 12.1 points and leads the team in assists (20).
- Emerald Ekpiteta is the club's most reliable rebounder, pulling down 7.5 boards per contest, to go along with a team-best 10 steals.
News and Notes:
Take A Chance On Me
In just two seasons and eight games, junior forward
Chance Graham already ranks 12th on Coppin State's career rebounding list with 640. Graham is well on pace to shatter Rene' Doctor's ('95) career record of 908 rebounds. In just 66 games, Graham has averaged 9.7 rebounds per game. A Second team All-MEAC selection last year, Graham led the conference with 10.7 rebounds per game and her 309 rebounds were the second most in Coppin single-season history.
Coppin State All-Time Rebounds Leaderboard
1. Rene' Doctor (908)
5. Bridgid Mitchell (728)
8. Lisa Briggs (695)
9. Jackie Johnson-Stewart (656)
10. Talia Sutton (654)
11. Jennifer Martin (642)
12. Chance Graham (640)
Having A Fields Day
New to the squad this season is senior
Brooke Fields, a former standout at Division II Roberts Wesleyan College. In three seasons with the Redhawks, Fields scored 1,226 points with a career-high 33 points in a victory over Bridgeport. Two seasons ago, Fields earned All-ECC honors with 15.6 points per game along with an 83% free throw percentage.
Staying In The DMV
Senior transfer
Kaiya Coleman was a near double-digit scorer two years ago at Division II University of the District of Columbia. She also has connections with head men's basketball coach
Juan Dixon, as she played under his tutelage in both individuals' lone season with the Firebirds, going 3-25.
Welcome Back
Coppin welcomes back sophomore
Maraiyah Smith after she had a standout freshman season a year ago. Smith averaged nearly nine points per game and ten points in conference play.
What's In A Name?
Along with Graham and Smith,
Oluwadamilola Oloyede returns to the fold for the Navy and Gold. While all the vowels in her name might make one lose their breath after one roll call, she prefers to go by "Dami" to make it easier on her peers. Oloyede had her bright spots in 2017-18, putting up 17 points while making all seven of her shots at Charlotte to go with three double-doubles.
Hawaii 2-5
Charlottesville native
Adrienne Darden has made her way back to the east coast after seeing limited playing time at University of Hawaii two seasons ago. The junior boasts a career-high of seven points versus Boise State and brings a vertical element to the club that was lacking in depth.
Freshman Takeover
To coincide with the Eagles' three transfers Darden, Fields, and Coleman, CSU welcomes a plethora of first year players into the mix with redshirt freshman
Tsahai Corbie (Brooklyn, N.Y.) as well as true freshmen
Diamond Adams (South Bend, Ind.),
E'Mya Price (Charlotte, N.C.),
Jalynda Salley (Reynoldsburg, Ohio) and
Elan Wali (Wyncote, Pa) all expected to get significant minutes on the hardwood.
Every Tuesday on WNST 1570 AM
Every Tuesday morning during the season, head coach
DeWayne Burroughs and selected coaches and players will be interviewed by Nestor Aparicio on WNST 1570 AM. WNST will air all Coppin home women's basketball games this season as well as selected road games. Games will also be aired on Fox Sports Williamsport.
Preseason Predictions
Coppin State was picked to finish 9th of 12 teams in the 2018-19 MEAC Preseason Poll.
Chance Graham, who received 2nd Team All-MEAC honors last season, headlined the Preseason First Team. Defending Tournament Champions North Carolina A&T was picked to win the MEAC, followed by the co-Regular Season Champion Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, with Norfolk State, Howard and Maryland Eastern Shore (1 first-place vote) rounded out the top-five.
Angel Golden of Bethune-Cookman was named the Preseason MEAC Player of the Year.
First Recruit Signed For 2019-2020 Recruiting Class
Coppin State University's women's basketball head coach
DeWayne Burroughs has announced that
Marley Grenway, a 5-foot-10 guard from Jessup, Maryland, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Eagles in the 2019-2020 season. This is the first signee for CSU's recruiting class for next season.
Starring at Oakland Mills High School in Columbia, Maryland, Grenway led the Scorpions to a 2A Regional Championship and State Semifinal as a junior. Grenway averaged 15.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and nearly two steals per game as she was named Third Team All-State for 1A and 2A schools as well as Honorable Mention All-Met by the Washington Post.
Known for her shooting prowess, Grenway made 64 3-pointers last season at Oakland Mills and played her AAU ball for Team Takeover as well as Team Intensity.
Defending Her Turf
Chance Graham has won two MEAC Defensive Player of the Week Awards in 2018-19 and four in her career. Graham had earned the honor on November 20 and December 4 of this year, while winning Defensive POTW for the weeks of January 9 and February 6 last season.
Eagle Excellence
Graham's presence is littered all over the national leader boards, as she places inside the top-50 in six different categories, and appears on 12 different rankings in total. She currently sits 12th on the Coppin State career rebounding list with 640 and is projected to obliterate the current record of 908 held by Rene' Doctor. The junior paces the Eagles in points (97), rebounds (66), steals (14), and blocks (11), while sitting atop the MEAC in defensive rebounds per game (8), double-doubles (4), free throw attempts (53), minutes played per game (38.5) and rebounds per game (11).
Double-Double Vision
Chance Graham continues to produce double-doubles game-in and game-out. She accumulated her first four during her freshman campaign, before exploding for 12 such performances last season. So far in 2018-19, she has provided the Lady Eagles with five double-doubles in the team's first eight contests, averaging 15 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Over her career, Graham has totaled 21 double-doubles in 66 games, good for 32% of her appearances.
