Women’s Hoops Falls Down the Stretch at Rhode Island

KINGSTON, R.I. – Jewel Watkins and Mossi Staples scored 18 points apiece as Coppin State's women's basketball team was unable to hang on in a 67-60 loss at Rhode Island on Tuesday night at Ryan Center. The Eagles now stand at 2-4 on the season while the Rams improve to 3-1.
 
Inside the Numbers

• Both Watkins and Staples made 6-of-15 from the floor as Watkins hit three 3-pointers and 3-of-5 from the line to go with a pair of blocks.  Staples hit a pair of triples and made all four of her free throws.
• Staples also led the team with six rebounds and three steals  and dished out a pair of assists.
• Hope Evans matched a career-high with 11 points to go with four rebounds and three assists. Colleen Bucknor chipped in with seven points, five rebounds and two assists.
• Coppin narrowly outshot the Rams, 40.7% to 40.3% but the Rams held a big edge with 17 second-chance points and 23 points off 15 Eagles turnovers.
• Four Rhody players finished in double figures, led by Maye Toure with 19 points.

How it Happened

• A high scoring first quarter saw Rhode Island outscore Coppin, 21-17 with Watkins and Staples scoring all but two of CSU's points.  Watkins opened the game with a three and Staples nailed one of her own just before the buzzer.
• Staples and Watkins hit a pair of free throws early in the second and the Eagles later went on a 7-0 run to tie the score at 28-28 on a layup by Watkins at the 4:47 mark.
• After a pair of URI buckets, Staples and Cortney Gardner hit layups and Evans hit a pair of free throws to make it a 34-32 halftime advantage.
• Rhode Island built a five-point lead midway through the third, which Coppin once again erased on a three by Bucknor, followed by a layup from Evans.
• The hosts retook the lead before Evans hit a jumper as time expired in the period as Coppin trailed 47-46 going into the final quarter.
• After trading buckets for the first three minutes, Rhode Island put some distance between the teams with a 6-0 run to go up, 58-53 with 4:52 remaining.
• Staples drove in a for a score and Watkins buried a three, cutting the deficit to 59-58 with 2:41 remaining.
• Jalynda Salley matched a Rams layup but Rhode Island scored the final six points of the game.

Up Next: Coppin returns to action on November 27 when it travels to Old Dominion for a 2 pm tipoff on ESPN+.