WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Howard University women's basketball team erased a 10-point deficit to defeat Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) foe Coppin State, 66-58, on Monday afternoon in Burr Gymnasium.
The Bison are now 7-8 overall and remain undefeated in MEAC play with spotless 3-0 mark. The loss drops CSU to 3-14 (3-2 MEAC).
Monday's victory is the fifth straight win for the Bison, the longest streak under second-year head coach Ty Grace.
Redshirt junior Erin Blaine tallied her first double-double of the season on 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead Howard's four double-digit scorers. She also picked up three assists and three steals while making 8-of-10 free throws.
Senior Sydni Johnson added 14 points and pulled down five rebounds and classmate Jasmine Hill posted 13 points. Junior Tajzhane Dopson pounded the glass for the Bison with all seven of her rebounds coming on the defensive end.
Redshirt senior Te'Shya Heslip notched 14 points, six steals, five assists and four boards. Heslip scored all of her points in the second half and made 8-of-9 from the charity stripe.
After shooting just 28.1 percent (9-32) in the first half, Howard got on the right track to shoot at a 56.0 percent clip (14-25) in the final 20 minutes of the game. Overall, HU recorded a 40.4 field goal percentage (23-57).
The Bison continued to get the job done at the free throw line as they made 19-of-25 attempts for a 76.0 percent mark. The home team also outscored the Eagles in the paint, 38-26, and recorded 18 points off fast break opportunities. This season, Howard is 5-0 when tied or leading after three quarters of action.
It was a rough start for the Bison, who opened the game 0-for-9 from the field but trailed only 8-5 after holding CSU to 3-of-12 shooting. Johnson's jumper with 10 seconds left in the first quarter brought the score to 12-7. The Eagles responded with a three-pointer to close the period ahead, 15-7.
CSU extended its advantage to 10 points, 24-14, midway through the second quarter. Heslip got the crowd energized after the give-and-go with Hill, which sparked an 8-1 run for the Bison over the final 5:26 to pull within three at halftime, 25-22. Howard had 12 of its first half points in the paint.
The Bison went on a 5-0 run to get the third quarter underway and tie the game at 29. The Eagles managed to regain the lead, 39-37, until a layup by Blaine tied the score once again, 39-39. A pair of free throws by Hill capped off a 6-0 dash that gave HU its first lead of the game, 41-39. By the end of the quarter, the game was locked at 44 heading into the last 10 minutes of play.
The two teams exchanged buckets to get the fourth quarter started until the Eagles posted seven straight points to go up, 55-50, and send Howard to its bench. The Bison swiftly took control with a 14-0 run over 4:22 for a nine-point advantage, 64-55. The Eagles were forced to foul as they tried to stay alive but Howard went on to claim the win, 66-58.
Keena Samuels had a game-high 19 points for CSU. Chance Graham wrapped up the outing with a double-double (14 points, 16 rebounds) and Genesis Lucas tallied 12 points.
Howard is headed to North Carolina A&T for a 2 p.m. matchup on Saturday, Jan. 21.
