NORFOLK, Va. – Tiffany Hammond scored 19 points with five 3-pointers but it was not enough as Coppin State's women's basketball team fell at Norfolk State, 61-53 on Saturday afternoon at Echols Hall. The Eagles fall to 6-12 overall and are in a three-way tie for first place in the MEAC with the Spartans and Howard University at 3-1 in league play.
Hammond hit 7-of-15 shots from the floor to match a career-high for field goals and she buried 5-of-12 shots from behind-the-arc. She also added three rebounds, an assist and a steal.
Laila Lawrence was the only other CSU player in double figures, finishing with ten points and five rebounds, followed by
Faith Blackstone with nine points and a team-high six rebounds off the bench.
Mossi Staples and
Angel Jones added five points apiece with Staples dishing out four assists along with three rebounds and three steals.
Norfolk State outshot Coppin, 40.7% to 36.5% and made 14-of-17 free throws compared to just 4-of-10 for the Eagles. CSU hit 11 3-pointers which was a season-high as Blackstone and Lawrence added two triples each with Jones and
Tyler Gray adding the others.
How it Happened
- Coppin led, 11-8 after the first with Gray breaking the tie with a three with 43 seconds remaining in the quarter.
- Staples opened the second with a jumper on the opening possession, but the Spartans scored the next seven points to regain the lead.
- Lawrence put the Eagles back on top with a three at the 5:39 mark and CSU led by as many as 26-19 with 1:43 left after a transition layup by Blackstone.
- The Spartans cut the deficit to 26-22 at the half and went on a 9-0 run midway through the third to go up, 35-32.
- Blackstone stopped the drought with a free throw but NSU came back with a three and got a layup in the closing seconds to lead, 40-33 after three.
- The hosts extended their lead to 53-38 with 5:03 left in regulation, but the Eagles made a final run, getting to within 59-53 with 43 seconds left on another three by Lawrence.
- Norfolk made two free throws after a quick CSU foul and the Eagles was unable to respond.
Up Next: Coppin returns to PEC Arena on Monday, January 29 when it hosts Howard in a battle for first place at 5:30 pm on ESPN+.
