BALTIMORE, Md. (Jan. 20, 2024)--Faith Blackstone came off the bench to score a game-high 16 points to lead four players in double figures scoring and Laila Lawrence recorded a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds to lead host Coppin State past crosstown rival Morgan State, 67-47 on Saturday afternoon at the Physical Education Complex Arena.
 
Coppin State improved to 6-11, 3-0 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and is now in sole position of first place in the league standings. Morgan State, which has now dropped two straight, fell to 6-12, 1-2 in the MEAC.
 
Coppin's Tyler Gray scored 13 points on 4-for-5 shooting and 5-of-6 from the free throw line and had nine rebounds, while Tiffany Hammond finished with 10 points in the win.
 
For Morgan State, the loss ended a three-game winning streak over Coppin and was just the third loss to the Eagles in the last 16 meetings. It was also Morgan's largest margin of defeat to its rivals since an 82-38 thumping on Feb. 27, 2016 at PEC Arena.
 
The Lady Bears were paced by Laila Fair, who finished with 13 points, six rebounds, a steal and a game-high five blocks. Tamaria Rumph came off the bench to score 13 points, five rebounds and a game-high four assists. Joelle Johnson tallied 12 points, a team-best seven rebounds, a block and a steal.
 
Morgan State held a 29-27 lead at the intermission, but would get outscored 40-18 in the second half, including a 25-9 output from the Eagles in the fourth quarter.
 
The Lady Bears scored the first six points to start the third period to extend their advantage to eight points at 35-27 with 7:25 remaining in the quarter.
 
A jumper by Brooklyn Jones at the 5:11 mark gave Morgan a 37-31 lead, but that would be the last field goal of the quarter for Morgan. Blackstone knocked down a triple to trigger an 11-1 run by the Eagles to close out the half and take a 42-38 lead into the fourth.
 
The hosts scored the first eight points to start the fourth and increased their cushion to 12 points at 50-38. A jumper by Fair stopped the run, but the Eagles responded with a 13-3 run, capped off by another three-pointer by Blackstone to put Coppin ahead by 20 (63-43) with 2:42 to play.
 
Morgan State shot 35% (20-of-57) for the game and just 8% (1-of-12) from three-point range. The Lady Bears shot 13 less attempts than Coppin from the charity line, finishing 6-of-10 (60%). The host Eagles went to the line 23 times, connecting on 17 for 73.9%. Coppin finished the game shooting 40% (22-of-55) and shot 6-of-10 (60%) from beyond the arc.
 
Morgan State will host Beltway rival Howard on Saturday, Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. at Hill Field House for Morgan Strong Day. Fans are encouraged to wear white, as the game will be a 'White Out.'
 
Howard (5-12, 2-1 MEAC) is coming off a convincing 73-60 victory over defending MEAC regular season and tournament champion Norfolk State on Saturday in Washington, D.C.
 
 
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.