BALTIMORE – Laila Lawrence went off for a career-high 30 points and pulled down 17 rebounds as Coppin State's women's basketball team took care of Morgan State, 65-45 on Thursday night at Hill Field House. The Eagles swept the regular season series against the Bears for the first time since the 2011-12 season and will enter next week's MEAC Tournament at 11-17 overall and 8-6 in the MEAC.
A junior from Lewisville, Texas, Lawrence matched a career-high from the field, hitting 11-of-16 from the floor while adding eight free throws to record her first-ever 30-point game. Her 17 rebounds, which gave her 15 double-doubles on the year, was her third-best effort of the season and she was credited with three blocks and two steals as well.
Lawrence now has 297 rebounds on the season, ranking sixth in CSU single-season history and her 34 blocks rank just outside the top ten in school history.
Faith Blackstone was also in double figures, recording 17 points, two rebounds, two assists, two blocks and five steals.
Angel Jones followed with nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals.
Tyler Gray chipped in with six points and six rebounds and
Tiffany Hammond hit her team-leading 50
th 3-pointer of the season for three points.
Coppin outshot Morgan State, 43.4% to 30.2%, but went a blistering 52% from the floor in the second half to outscore the Bears, 42-20 in the second half. CSU forced MSU into 23 turnovers which translated into 24 points.
How it Happened
- Morgan State scored the game's first six points until Jones put Coppin on the board at the 8:44 mark, followed by back-to-back layups by Lawrence to tie the score.
- The teams were tied after the first period, 12-12 with neither team making a basket for the final 3:45.
- The Bears held a slim lead throughout the second quarter and went into the break with a 25-23 advantage.
- Lawrence went to work in the second half, scoring 19 of her 30 points in the final 20 minutes.
- With Coppin clinging to a 26-25 lead after an early three by Blackstone, Gray hit two free throws and Lawrence scored six-straight points to increase the Eagles' lead to 36-28 with 3:25 left in the third.
- Jones added a jumper, followed by another Lawrence layup and Hammond nailed a three as the period expired, putting Coppin up, 45-32.
- Coppin continued to pour it on in the fourth, going on an 11-0 run to start the quarter.
- Lawrence put 30 on the scoreboard with a free throw with 3:41 left, putting CSU on top, 59-34, and the Navy & Gold got a layup by Gray just seconds later to take its largest lead.
Up Next: Coppin earned the fourth seed in the MEAC Tournament and will take on #5 Maryland Eastern Shore on Thursday, March 14 at 12:00 pm. The team's split the regular season series with both squads winning on their home floors.
