BALTIMORE – Despite outrebounding #2 South Carolina in front of over 3,300 fans, Coppin State's women's basketball team fell to the Gamecocks, 90-48 on Sunday afternoon at PEC Arena. The Eagles fell to 4-16 overall while South Carolina improved to 19-1 on the year.
The announced home crowd of 3,371 fans was the second-largest in CSU women's basketball history in the fifth-straight season that Coppin has hosted a Power Conference program. South Carolina was the highest-ranked team that the Eagles have ever played.
Khila Morris led Coppin with 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting while burying all three of her 3-pointers to go with four rebounds.
Paris McBride was also in double figures, scoring 12 points, and was followed by
Sydney Burris with six.
Shanaii Gamble matched a career -high, pulling down 11 rebounds.
South Carolina got 26 points and five steals from Joyce Edwards, followed by Tessa Johnson with 17 points on five 3-pointers and Ta'Niya Latson with 15. Madina Okot added eight points and led all players with 12 rebounds.
The Gamecocks outshot Coppin, 51.5% to 32.2% while hitting nine 3-pointers and 11-of-14 from the stripe. South Carolina also scored 35 points off turnovers.
CSU held a 38-37 advantage on the glass and scored 12 second-chance points.
The visiting Gamecocks scored the first seven points of the game, including a pull-up three just five seconds into it. They added a quick layup off a turnover and putback their own miss at the 8:11 mark of the first quarter.
Morris got Coppin on the board with a three on the ensuing possession, and McBride buried another following a South Carolina turnover. After trading misses,
Erin Henry grabbed a rebound and drove hard down the right-side for a layup, giving Coppin it's only lead of the game with 6:37 left in the quarter.
South Carolina outscored Coppin, 15-6 the rest of the frame and never looked back, taking a 44-19 lead to the half. The Eagles fought tremendously throughout the second half, scoring 18 points in the fourth quarter while hitting three 3-pointers.
Coppin hosts Howard at 7:00 pm on Thursday, January 22 before traveling to Norfolk State two days later for a 2 o'clock start.
