Box Score

BALTIMORE, Md. – The Longwood University women's basketball team led by as many as 10 points before Coppin State University (2-2) scored 12 unanswered to open the second half en route to earning a 75-67 comeback victory on Tuesday evening in Baltimore, Maryland. Senior Chelsea Coward|Mechanicsville paced the Lancers (1-4) with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Classmates Crystal Smith|Richmond and Mieke Elkington|Hamilton, New Zealand also scored in double-figures with 11 points apiece. Longwood will return to action on Monday, November 26 when the squad travels to the University of Pittsburgh for a 7 p.m. tilt.

The Lancers scored four quick points before Coppin State got on the board. The Eagles tied the game for the first time at 7-7 before LU used a 16-6 run to take a its largest lead of the game, up 23-13 with just over nine minutes left to play in the first half. CSU retaliated with six unanswered points to cut the Longwood buffer to four, making it a 23-19 game with 7:19 left in the period. The Longwood offense quickly regained an eight-point margin before the Eagles answered once again with nine straight points, this time taking their first lead of the game at 33-32 with just 20 seconds remaining in the first. Senior Erin Neal|Durham, N.C.  scored the last bucket of the half, knocking down a jumper just before the clock expired to send the Lancers into the break with a slight 34-33 advantage.

Coming out of halftime, Bria Harris hit a layup to spark a 17-6 run for the Eagles and make it a 50-40 game in favor of the home team. The squads traded baskets, as CSU extended its buffer to as much as 13, up 66-53 with 4:21 left to play. The Lancers would not go silently, as Coward converted on two free throws to spark a 7-0 run, pulling LU within six, down just 66-60 with 2:29 still to play, but CSU outscored the visitors 9-7 in the final minutes to seal the victory.

Coward's team-high 16 points and 11 rebounds were good for her third double-double of the season and her second consecutive. Freshman Raven Williams|Richmond added to the offensive effort with nine points, while Neal and freshman Khalilah Ali|Suffolk each tallied six. The Lancers combined to shoot 42% (26-62) from the field, 30% (6-20) from three-point territory and 75% (9-12) from the foul line.

The Eagles were led by Kyra Coleman with a game-high 24 points. Leola Spotwood registered a double-double with 16 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. As a team, CSU shot 37% (27-74) from the floor, including 50% (2-4) from beyond the arc, and 63% (19-30) from the line.

Tuesday's contest marked the second meeting ever between Longwood and Coppin State in the sport of women's basketball. CSU now holds a 2-0 advantage in the all-time series.