Box Score
BALTIMORE, Md. – The Savannah State women's basketball squad opened a 14-game Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference stretch with a visit to Coppin State University Saturday afternoon.

In a thrilling second half, the Lady Tigers overcame a 17-point deficient to come within three points of the Eagles lead, but fell short in the final seconds as Coppin State claimed their first MEAC victory of the season with a 57-53 win.

The Lady Tigers fall to 6-10 overall and 1-2 in the MEAC, while Coppin State improves to 5-11 and 1-2 in conference play.

SSU senior Erin Hogue led the Lady Tigers in the loss with her fifth double-double of the season, posting 13 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Andrietta Thomas led in points with 19. Leola Spotwood posted a double-double, 14-10, for the Eagles, and teammate Larrisa Carter did the same, with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Savannah State took a 4-0 lead early in the contest behind a jumper from Jazmin Thomas. Coppin State tied the match moments later as Carter sank a jumper for a 7-all score with 12:07 to play.

Hogue sank a jump shot at the 8:19 mark to tie the game at 10; the second of six ties in the first half. SSU shot at a 36.8 percent clip in the first half, surpassing Coppin's 30.0 percent.

Tied at 18 with 2:37 till the half, Carter sank a fast break a layup for the lead. Andrietta Thomas drained two free-throws to cut the Eagles lead to one point, 21-20. Back-to-back baskets during the last minute gave Coppin a 25-20 lead.

Andrietta Thomas sank a 3-pointer with 4 seconds on the clock for a 25-23 score into the locker room.  Thomas was 4-for-5 from beyond the arc and 5-for-10 from the field overall.

The second half proved to be a very different game as the Eagles jumped out to a 12-point lead in the first six minutes. The Lady Tigers failed to score in the opening eight minutes. Jazmin Thomas broke the drought with a layup for a 35-25 score at the 12:37 mark.

Coppin State extended their lead to 17 points, 44-27 - their largest lead of the game - with 9:15 to play on a layup from Spotwood.

Trailing by 13-points, 52-39, with 3:16 to play, Andrietta Thomas drained back-to-back 3-pointers, sparking a 9-2 SSU run that culminated with two good free-throws from Jazmin Thomas. With 59 seconds to play, the Lady Tigers had reduced a 17-point deficient to only five points.

Andrietta Thomas hit her fourth 3-pointer of the night with 15 seconds to play for a 55-51 Coppin State advantage. A good free-throw from Coppin State made it a five point game with 10 seconds. Hogue drilled a jump shot from the baseline for a 56-53 Coppin State lead and gave SSU their closest chance at overcoming the home team.

With only a second to play, Craig sank a free-throw for the final score. Coppin State shot 48.4 percent from the charity strip, while SSU managed a 65.2 percentage. The Lady Tigers shot 38.6 percent from the field overall. The Eagles shot 35.6 percent and outrebounded SSU 43-32.

The Lady Tiger return to action across town Monday with a visit to Morgan State for a MEAC matchup. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m.