WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Jewel Watkins scored a career-high 35 points to lead the Coppin State women's basketball to a huge second half comeback, but the Eagles fell in overtime at William & Mary, 84-81 on Sunday afternoon at Kaplan Arena.
Inside the Numbers
- Jewel Watkins scored a career-high 35 points on 13-of-26 shooting and five 3-pointers, along with eight rebounds. Watkins scored 31 of her points after halftime, and 21 in the fourth quarter alone.
- Watkins' 35 points are tied for the fourth-most in CSU single-game history, which was most recently done by Jaia Alexander against Delaware State on February 2, 2022.
- Hope Evans also recorded a career-high, recording 12 points to go with six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
- Also in double figures was Jalynda Salley with ten points while pulling down seven rebounds.
- Prior to fouling out, Colleen Bucknor matched her career-high with 14 rebounds while scoring six points. Mossi Staples also fouled out, but put up six points, five rebounds and three assists.
- William & Mary outshot Coppin, 41.7% to 35.9%, but the Eagles pulled down 16 offensive rebounds to record 15 second-chance points. CSU also scored 17 points off 16 William & Mary turnovers.
- The Tribe got 20 points from Sydney Wagner, and 19 from Riley Casey.
- Coppin shot just 26.5% from the floor in the first half but made 42.9% in the second half which included a 9-of-17 (52.9%) performance in the fourth quarter.
How it Happened
- After a free throw by Evans with 3:17 in the second quarter cut a deficit to 29-25, William & Mary closed the first half on a 10-0 run to take a 39-25 lead.
- The Tribe extended their lead to as many as 52-35 with 3:31 remaining in the third, but Watkins responded with a three-point play, added a layup and found Bucknor for another score, making it a 58-45 score entering the fourth.
- Watkins opened the fourth with a jumper, and following a pair of W&M scores, hit back-to-back threes and added a free throw to get Coppin within 62-54 at the 4:58 mark.
- Lucia Reos matched a Tribe three with one of her own, and Watkins buried two more treys which more than offset a couple of Tribe free throws to pull within 69-66 with 44 seconds remaining in regulation.
- A quick foul and two free throws extended the lead to five for William & Mary before Watkins drove in for the And-1, pulling to within 71-69 with 33 seconds left.
- Cortney Gardner got the Eagles to within 71-70 with a free throw, before the Tribe upped their lead back to three.
- With just 11 seconds remaining, Watkins hit her fifth triple of the period to tie the score at 73-73.
- In the extra period, Coppin held the lead at four different times, with the last coming at 81-80 on a layup by Watkins with 1:14 remaining.
- William & Mary retook the lead with a pair of free throws and Coppin missed out on a pair of opportunities to regain the advantage. The hosts hit a pair of free throws with eight ticks to go, sealing the win.
Up Next: Coppin returns to action on Thursday, December 8 at Syracuse for a 7 pm tipoff on ACC Network.
