BALTIMORE, Md. – Big performances by senior forward Tisha Dixon and freshman guard Rodneysha Martin were not enough for visiting North Carolina Central University in a 63-46 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women’s basketball loss to Coppin State University on Thursday evening.

CSU (9-15 Overall, 6-6 MEAC) closed a close contest on a 16-3 run to level its league ledger. NCCU (4-19, 2-19) committed 28 turnovers – matching its most miscues on the season – to suffer its seventh straight MEAC loss.

Dixon recorded her third double-double of the season and 10th of her career. The Kinston, North Carolina, product tallied game-high marks of 14 points and 14 rebounds, with her 14 boards being a season-high total.

Martin led NCCU’s backcourt with 12 points and seven rebounds (both season-high sums).

Coppin State entered the contest leading the MEAC in steals and the host Lady Eagles came up with 13 thefts as they outscored NCCU 30-6 on points off turnovers.

NCCU used a 15-4 run that spanned over the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth quarter to pull within four points at 47-43 with 6:02 left before CSU cruised away late on the ending 16-3 run.

The surge started with 14 consecutive home points, including four layups and a pair of 3-pointers.

Senior guard Amber Griffin paced the victors with 12 points. Senior guard Jordan Swails and junior guard Keena Samuels each chipped in 10 points. Sophomore guard Genesis Lucas flirted with a double-double with nine points and a game-high 10 assists. Senior forward Omaah Tayong followed with nine points and a team-high eight rebounds. Swails and Tayong both came up with three steals.

CSU held a slim advantage for most of the first half with NCCU’s only two leads coming on a sophomore Kierona Morton putback at 2-0 and a Martin free throw at 16-15.

A 10-2 run after Martin’s free throw gave Coppin State its largest lead of the half at 25-18 but Martin scored four more points in the final minute to cut the NCCU halftime deficit to just three points.

Martin, who had five points at the intermission with junior Monique Whaley-Briggs, made a long 20-footer with 31 seconds left and then was fouled while grabbing a rebound in the final second of play. Martin made both free throws with just two-tenths of a second showing on the clock to close the gap to 25-22.

NCCU shot just 24.1-percent in the first 20 minutes but held a 28-23 edge on the backboards and made of 6 of 9 free throws compared to 2 of 5 by CSU to stay within striking distance. Dixon corralled seven rebounds before the midway break.

CSU opened up the second half on a 13-0 run to claim its first double-digit advantage at 38-22. The hosts continued to lead by 16 at 42-26 when NCCU started its comeback.