NORFOLK, Va. – Jaia Alexander led all players with 33 points but it was not enough as the Coppin State women's basketball team fell in the MEAC Quarterfinals to Maryland Eastern Shore, 73-65, on Thursday afternoon at Scope Arena. The Eagles close the season with a 15-13 overall record, marking one of the largest turnarounds in the Nation.
A graduate student from Baltimore, Alexander matched a career-high by making 14-of-22 shots from the floor while hitting 4-of-6 from the line. Alexander, who was named the MEAC Player of the Year, added three rebounds and two steals in what was her third game this season with at least 30 points.
Colleen Bucknor was the only other CSU player in double figures, finishing with ten points and five rebounds.
Mossi Staples added eight points and led the team with seven rebounds.
Hope Evans finished with five points, followed by
Jalynda Salley with four,
Aliyah Lawson with three and
Jewel Watkins with two.
The Eagles were outshot, 43.8% to 35.0% but got to the line early and often, hitting 21-of-27 from the charity stripe. Coppin struggled from 3-point range, making just 2-of-23 shots from deep and not hitting from downtown after the opening quarter.
Maryland Eastern Shore extended an early lead to 30-23 with 3:31 left in the second quarter, but Alexander and Bucknor led the Eagles back with a 13-0 run and went into the half with a 36-32 lead. Bucknor started the charge with a pair of free throws and a layup to pull CSU within three before Alexander converted on an old-fashioned three-point to the score at 30-30 at the 1:36 mark.
Alexander then hit back-to-back jumpers, finishing with 20 first half points, and Evans hit a pair of free throws before the Hawks hit a bucket just before the half.
Coppin led by as many as six points in the third, but UMES stayed right with them and banked in a three just before the buzzer sounded to pull within 55-53 after three.
UMES tied the score at 55 with a jumper to open the quarter, but after Alexander gave CSU back the lead on the ensuing possession, the Hawks went on a 12-2 run over the next 4:27 to take their largest lead at 67-59 with 4:36 remaining. Alexander kept Coppin alive with a pair of buckets and Staples hit three free throws in the final minutes to pull the Eagles within four, but UMES closed the game with four-straight points to prevail.
