Staples and Lawson Score in Double Digits as Eagles fall to #6 Maryland

BALTIMORE- Coppin State University women's basketball falls short to No. 6 Maryland to break their home game win streak with a final score of 98-52.

The Eagles move to 6-6 on the season and 3-1 at home. 

Mossi Staples led the Eagles with 16 points and shot 10-of-12 from the free-throw line.  Aliyah Lawson was the Eagles second leading scorer with 13 points, while hitting three three-pointers.  Jalynda Salley grabbed a team-high seven rebounds and tallied six points, while Hope Evans led the team in assists with three.  As a team, the Eagles played a physical game and stayed in attack mode. 

Coppin forced 18 fouls from Maryland and outscored them from the free-throw line as they hit 14-of-19 to Maryland's 9-of-15. 

Colleen Bucknor put the Eagles to a strong start in the first quarter with back-to-back jumpers within one minute.  Maryland responded with a 12-0 run, until Evans and Jewel Watkins scored back-to-back layups to cut the lead back into single digits.  Staples scored the next six straight points for the Eagles going into the second quarter.  Lawson got crafty with a step-back three to maintain offensive momentum.  Both teams went scoreless until Salley scored a bucket from her own steal.  Coppin trailed 56-24 by the end of the first half. 

Lawson had seven points in the third quarter alone.  Staples and Lawson scored the first eight points for Coppin, including a three and a lay-up by Lawson and a lay-up by Staples.  Salley got herself another bucket off a put-back while Staples continued to get downhill and attack the lanes as she hit four free-throws to close off the quarter.  After a strong start of the fourth quarter with another put-back from Salley followed by a three from Lawson, Maryland had a large lead.  Evans with one second left hit a three for Coppin to bring the final score to 98-52. 

The Eagles will soar to Fairfax Virginia to face George Mason on December 28.  Tip-off will begin at 5pm.