PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Jewel Watkins scored a season-high 18 points to lead all players as the Coppin State women's basketball team fell at Maryland Eastern Shore, 60-51, on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles fall to 14-11 overall and 8-4 in the MEAC while the Hawks improve to 10-14 with a 6-6 mark in league play.
A freshman from Whitehall, Ohio, Watkins made 7-of-17 from the floor and added seven rebounds and two steals as shorthanded Coppin squad shot just 29.2% from the floor.
Mossi Staples added nine points, followed by
Aliyah Lawson and
Colleen Bucknor with eight points apiece.
Bucknor also had a team-high nine rebounds while
Jalynda Salley became just the third CSU player to record over 100 career blocks as she swatted away four shots on the day. Salley now has 103 blocks in her collegiate career.
Both teams shot poorly from the floor in the opening quarter as the Hawks led 11-9 after the first ten minutes before opening a 30-22 halftime lead, helped in large part by an 11-3 run to close the period.
Maryland Eastern Shore scored the opening bucket of the third quarter to open a 32-22 lead but a three-point by
Hope Evans sparked a 14-2 Eagles run with Watkins giving CSU the 36-34 advantage with 3:57 remaining.
UMES scored on the ensuing possession to tie the score and closed the quarter with nine-straight points to lead 43-36.
Coppin pulled to within a single basket at 47-45 on a jumper by Watkins at the 5:44 mark but the Hawks pulled away with an 11-0 run.
The Eagles close out the regular season with a pair of home games, starting with Delaware State coming to town on Monday, February 28 for a 5:30 pm start. Fans can watch the game live on NXT LVL or listen in at WNST 1570AM.
