Seniors Rashida Suber and Shalamar Oakley combined for 45 points, but it was not enought to offset the balanced attack of Maryland as the Terrapins defeated the Lady Eagles 80-66 in a first round game in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in the Comcast Center.
"I think our team played very well today," said head coach Derek Brown. "They (Maryland) don't do a lot of things and they're going to wear you down with talent. I felt we did a very good job defensively for most of the game."
Playing in their final game in a Coppin State uniform Suber and Oakley were simply brilliant. Suber led the Eagles with 25 points, while Oakley scored 17 first-half points and finished with 20 points. The 25 points scored by Suber was a Coppin State NCAA Tournament record breaking the previous record of 16 shared by Suber and Oakley.
"They're two young ladies that put their heart into every practice and every game. Rashida was a little tough to teach defense to, but as of last year, she became a very good defender. Since they arrived here they've been nothing but winners. We talked about it in the locker room a few minutes ago that their leadership will be gone and I don't know who's going to step up and be the leader." Brown said of his two seniors.
Suber finished the game 11-of-23 from the floor and also had four steals, while Oakley was 8-of-16 from the field and added eight rebounds, five assists and four steals.
The Lady Eagles, who made their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four years, shot 50 percent from the floor and held a five-point lead in the first half.
Maryland, who will face Nebraska in the second round, out-rebounded Coppin State 42-26 and outscored the Lady Eagles 28-10 from the free throw line.
The Lady Eagles, who finished the season with a 22-12 record, also received 11 points and six rebounds from Whitney Cunningham and six points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals from Danielle Anders.
The top-seeded Terps jumped out to a 12-4 lead as Crystal Langhorne and Marissa Coleman each scored four points.
Back-to-back layups by Langhorne and Coleman increased the Maryland lead to 15-6 with 15:05 to play in the first half.
The Lady Eagles responded with a 14-0 run to take the lead.
Suber and Oakley, who combined to score the first 27 Coppin State points, brought the Eagles back. Oakley scored 10 points during the run and gave Coppin State its first lead of the game at 16-15 on a jumper with 12:23 left in the period.
Two more jumpers from Oakley increased the Eagle lead to 20-15 with 11:14 left in the half.
Maryland scored four quick points to tie the score at 20-20, but Oakley gave the Lady Eagles the lead again with a traditional three-point play at the 9:12 mark of the period.
Ashleigh Newman tied the score at 23-23 with a three-pointer and Laura Harper put the Terps ahead to stay with a free throw at the 7:25 mark of the half.
Two free throws and a jumper by Harper increased Maryland's lead to 34-27, but the Eagles once again fought back.
Cunningham scored inside and Suber drained a three-pointer to trim the lead to 34-32 with 3:24 to play.
Maryland took a 40-35 lead into the intermission.
Maryland used a 10-0 run early in the second half to stretch the lead to 55-41 with 13:56 left in the game.
A Suber three-point cut the margin to 57-48, but the Terrapins answered with a 9-2 run to take a 68-50 lead at the 8:37 mark of the second half.
Maryland held its largest lead of the second half at 80-61, but Coppin State closed the game on a 5-0 run as Cunningham scored three points and Tiffany LeGreair added two free throws.
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