AKRON, Ohio – Coppin State's women's basketball team gave Akron all it could handle, forcing overtime against the 2022 WNIT participant, before falling 85-76 on Thursday night at James Rhodes Arena. The Eagles fall to 3-11 while the Zips improve to 9-2.
Inside the Numbers
- Hope Evans put up career-highs in points (19) and rebounds (8) while making 8-of-14 from the floor, her lone 3-point attempt and 2-of-3 from the line. Her eight rebounds was a team high.
- Jewel Watkins, one of three Ohio natives on CSU, finished with a team-high 20 points with four 3-pointers and five rebounds.
- Mossi Staples and Lucia Reos added nine points apiece while Ohio natives Jalynda Salley (7) and Alexandria Hamilton (6) combined for 13 points.
- LaShawna Robinson had a big four points and five rebounds and Colleen Bucknor chipped in with a bucket and six rebounds.
- Coppin outshot Akron, 43.5% to 40.3%, but the Zips got to the line much more often and made 21-of-27 compared to just 6-of-7 for the Eagles.
- Reagan Bass led all players with 30 points and Molly Neitzel recorded 21 points.
How it Happened
- The first quarter featured 45 combined points with seven ties and eight lead changes as Coppin led, 24-21.
- Evans got to the basket at will throughout the period and finished with six points, including the final bucket of the quarter with 15 ticks to go.
- Reos and Watkins hit threes to open the second quarter, giving the Eagles a 30-21 advantage but the Zips answered with a 13-4 run to tie the score at 34-34.
- Threes by Watkins and Evans sandwiched a jumper by Akron to get the lead back to four, but the hosts closed the half on a 9-2 run to take a 45-42 lead at the break.
- Akron built a 51-44 advantage at the 7:11 mark of the third, but the Eagles responded with a 10-0 spurt as Watkins hit a layup with 2:30 to go.
- The Zips stopped their drought with a three to tie the score and followed with another jumper before Watkins tied the score at 56-56 to close the third.
- The hosts thought they had the game in hand as it led, 70-65 with 2:55 remaining, but Watkins hit a runner and Evans converted on a three-point play to tie the score with 2:04 left.
- Following an Akron miss, Robinson hit a jumper from just outside the paint, giving CSU a two-point lead with 1:33 to go.
- Akron tied the score with a pair of free throws with five seconds left, prompting an Eagles timeout.
- A potential buzzer-beater by CSU rimmed out and Akron made 7-of-8 from the stripe in overtime to pull off the win.
Up Next: Coppin closes out non-conference play on New Year's Eve when it faces Kent State in a 2 pm tipoff on ESPN+.
