BALTIMORE – Four Eagles scored in double figures as Coppin State's women's basketball team defeated Morgan State, 67-47, on Saturday afternoon at PEC Arena. Winners of three-straight, the Eagles are now 5-11 overall and stand alone in first place in the MEAC with a 3-0 record in league play. The loss drops the Bears to 6-12 on the year and 1-2 in the MEAC.
The 20-point margin of victory was Coppin's largest against their crosstown rivals since February 27, 2016, when it defeated MSU, 82-38.
Faith Blackstone led all players with 16 points off the bench, converting on 8-of-9 free throws to go with five rebounds, two assists and two steals. She also made both of her 3-point attempts.
Laila Lawrence notched another double-double with 14 points and ten rebounds along with a pair of blocks.
Tyler Gray had her best game of the season, finishing with a season-high 13 points while matching a career-high with nine rebounds. Gray also dished out a pair of assists as
Tiffany Hammond recorded ten points, followed by
Angel Jones with nine points, and
Mossi Staples with three points and four assists.
Coppin outshot Morgan, 40.0% to 35.1%, narrowly outrebounded the Bears, 37-35, and made 17-of-23 free throws. The Eagles were credited with 22 fastbreak points.
How it Happened
- Both teams shot extremely well in the opening quarter, combining to make over 54 percent of their shots, with Coppin holding a 19-13 advantage after the period.
- The Eagles built a 12-5 lead in the opening quarter on a three-point play by Gray at the 6:33 mark after Angel Jones had converted on a pair of buckets inside.
- Morgan pulled to within one with six-straight points before Jones hit a three and Blackstone closed the frame with a pair of free throws.
- MSU went on a 9-0 run early in the second quarter, turning a six-point deficit into a 25-22 lead with 4:54 left and they went into the half with a 29-27 advantage.
- Coppin dominated the second half, outscoring Morgan, 40-18, including a 25-9 thrashing in the fourth to run away with it.
- The Bears scored the first six points of the third to go up, 35-27 with 7:25 remaining, but Coppin regrouped and closed the half on a 15-3 run.
- Over the final seven minutes of the third, five different Eagles scored with Gray hitting back-to-back jumpers, giving Coppin back the lead with 2:30 left before extending it to 40-37 with just under two minutes left.
- CSU scored the first eight points of the fourth, started by a three from Hammond and another three-point play by Gray followed by a pair of Blackstone free throws.
- Morgan cut the deficit to ten on the ensuing possession with 7:26 to play and that was as close as the visitors got the rest of the game with Blackstone hitting the and-1, followed by another three by Hammond.
- Coppin's largest lead of the game came at 67-43 on a layup by Lawrence with 1:19 remining in regulation.
Up Next: The Eagles return to action on Saturday, January 27 when they head to second-place Norfolk State (12-5, 2-1 MEAC) for a 2 pm tipoff.
