BALTIMORE – Angel Jones matched a career-high with 22 points and
Mossi Staples put together her best performance of the season to reach 1,000 career points as Coppin State's women's basketball team opened conference play with a 64-51 victory at Delaware State on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles improve to 4-11 overall and 1-0 in the MEAC while the Hornets fall to 4-10 and 0-1 in league play.
Jones led all scorers with 22 points on 9-of-16 shooting, and the sophomore guard from Alexandria, Va., also hit four 3-pointers to go with five rebounds and four assists. Staples finished with a season-high 16 points, hitting 6-of-9 from the floor, along with six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Laila Lawrence was also in double figures with 13 points while grabbing a game-high eight rebounds. Lawrence also was credited with four steals as
Tiffany Hammond and
Tyler Gray chipped in with six and five points, respectively. Gray matched Jones with four assists and
Cassandra Hawthorne pulled down a career-high seven rebounds while adding a bucket.
Coppin hit a season-high 49.0% from floor, making 25-of-51 shots, along with seven threes. Fifteen of the team's buckets came via assists, also a season high.
The Eagles held the Hornets to 35.6% shooting and held a slim 34-30 advantage on the glass. CSU was particularly good in transition throughout the game, recording 17 fastbreak points.
How it Happened
- Jones got the game started with a three on the opening possession and the Eagles extended their advantage to as many as 13-6 in the first following back-to-back layups by Staples and Jones.
- Delaware State pulled to within 13-10 with 2:20 left before Jones buried a three, extending the advantage back to six.
- The Hornets scored the final four points of the first to get back within two, but Coppin went on an 8-0 run to start the second quarter.
- Four different Eagles scored two points during the run which gave them a double-digit lead.
- After DSU got back within ten, Jones hit a three before Staples scored the next five, giving Coppin its largest lead at 32-18 with 4:18 left in the half.
- Jones scored on a layup just before the buzzer sounded, giving CSU a 34-24 halftime lead, but the hosts made a game of it by cutting Coppin's lead to 43-41 after three.
- The Hornets took a 48-47 lead with 5:45 left in regulation, but Coppin closed the game on a 17-3 run, including Staples' midrange jumper with 1:55 remaining to give her 1,000 points.
- Hammond followed Staples' milestone jumper with a three and Staples capped the game off with a free throw in the closing seconds.
Up Next: Coppin hosts Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday, January 8 at 5:30 pm on ESPN+.
