BALTIMORE, Maryland — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore was looking for its first winning streak of the season on Monday (Feb. 10) at Coppin State. But what it left PEC Arena with instead was a gut wrenching 66-63 loss to an Eagles squad that hadn't won a game all season.
The Hawks made just 12 of 26 free throws (46%) in the contest and missed six free throws in the final two minutes of the game.
"At the end of the day, we had opportunities at the free throw line that we didn't capitalize off of," Hawks coach Fred Batchelor said. "If we knock down free throws we go up a two possessions on a couple of occasions and we weren't able to do it. They came down and made their. I thought that was the difference in the game."
While Coppin's standout senior Chance Graham played just 11 second-half minutes due to foul trouble, her teammates on the inside picked her up. Classmate Oluwadamilola Oloyede and sophomore Jaylnda Sally combined for 12 points and 11 rebounds in the second half. Oloyede knocked down a pair of free throws with two seconds left to ice it.
Sally finished the game with 18 points and seven rebounds on 7-of-9 shooting from the field in 27 minutes. She tied the game at 62-62 with 24 seconds left, then with 11 seconds left got an offensive rebound and scored to put the Eagles (1-22, 1-10 MEAC) up 64-63.
"She had a big first half," Batchelor said. "I thought we made some adjustments at halftime to kind of negate that, but like I told them hungry dogs run faster."
Batchelor was concerned his team would have a letdown just two games after a big win across town at Morgan State, but the continued struggles at the line are perplexing to the veteran coach. Meanwhile, Coppin converted 20-of-27 from the line (74%).
The Hawks (5-17, 2-7 MEAC) shot 34% from the field to Coppin's 45%, but hung close in the rebounding department getting outrebounded just 39-37. The Shore turned the ball over 16 times and forced 21 Eagles miscues.
"For them to get their first win tonight congratulations to their coach and their team. I thought they played well enough that they deserved to win. It was just disappointing that we just weren't hungry enough to come in here and beat a team that hadn't won a game this year."
Adrienne Jones (Baltimore, Maryland) led Eastern Shore with 18 points to go along with three rebounds and four steals in her second "home" game of the weekend.
"AJ had a good weekend," Batchelor said. "I thought she made some good plays for us and put the ball in the basket. Defensively she did some good things. It was just too bad that in the end we didn't win the game."
Sophomore Brooklyn Bailey (Rock Hill, South Carolina) chipped in 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting and was 4-for-8 from behind the arc.
Junior Bairesha Gill-Miles (Lexington, Kentucky) led the squad on the glass with nine rebounds to go with eight points. Senior Ksenia Popovich (Moscow, Russia) added seven rebounds and junior Amanda Carney (Old Bridge, New Jersey) had six.
Freshman Mya Thomas (Chesapeake, Virginia) had a career-high six assists in her second career start.
The Hawks return home for a pair of games against Florida MEAC foes Bethune-Cookman (Feb. 15, 2 p.m.) and Florida A&M (Feb. 17, 5:30 p.m.) with just seven regular season games left in a season that is rapidly getting away.
