BALTIMORE, Md. – Junior forward Kaylee Allen nearly missed a double-double as the Cincinnati, Ohio native led the Savannah State University women's basketball team (2-10, 0-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) with 19 points and a career-high nine rebounds as the Lady Tigers fell to Coppin State University (2-12, 1-1 MEAC) Saturday to begin MEAC play in Physical Education Center Arena.
 
Allen also added four assists and two steals, while freshman guard Teyah Johnson, who has missed the last nine games due to an injury, added a career-high 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting with three steals.
 
Junior guard Donasja Scott and freshman guard Heniaya Moton each added eight points, while Scott added six rebounds and two steals and Moton shot 3-for-6 from the floor.
 
Savannah State scored four of the first five points to take a point lead, 5-4, with 7:37 remaining in the first quarter, but Coppin State scored the next five points to take a four-point lead, 9-5, with 6:07 left.  The Lady Tigers scored the next three points to cut the lead to a point, 9-8, with 4:13, but the Eagles finished the quarter scoring the final six points to take a seven-point, 15-8, lead after the first quarter.
 
After a CSU bucket to increase the lead to nine points, 17-8, with 9:49 remaining in the second quarter, the Lady Tigers scored seven of the next 10 points to cut the lead to five points, 20-15, with 7:55 remaining in the quarter.  The Eagles scored 19 of the next 26 points to increase their lead to 17 points, 39-22, with 51 seconds left in the first half, but Savannah State scored the final five points to cut the halftime deficit to 12 points, 39-27.
 
A Johnson layup at 7:52 mark in the third quarter cut the lead to 10 points, 39-29, but Coppin State scored the next six points to increase the lead to 16 points, 45-29, with 6:23 remaining in the quarter.  Savannah State scored the next six points to bring the lead back to 10 points, 45-35, with 4:30 left, but the Eagles scored 10 of the next 12 points to increase the lead to 18 points, 55-37, with 1:25 remaining.  The Lady Tigers closed the quarter scoring the final four points to cut the lead to 14 points, 55-41, after the third quarter.
 
Savannah State opened the final quarter scoring 10 of the first 12 points to cut the lead to six points, 57-51, with 4:35 remaining in the fourth quarter, but Coppin State scored nine of the final 15 points for the nine point win.
 
The Eagles were led by Genesis Lucas with 17 points, nine assists and five rebounds, while Chance Graham added a double-double with 15 points and 19 rebounds and Candice Beverly added 14 points and seven rebounds.
 
The Lady Tigers stay in Baltimore, Md., to face Morgan State University Monday at 5:30 p.m. before returning home for SSU's MEAC home opener Saturday, Jan. 13 against University of Maryland Eastern Shore at 4 p.m. in Tiger Arena.
 
Newspaper Box Score
Savannah State vs Coppin State
01/06/18 2 pm at Baltimore, Md. (PEC Arena)
At Baltimore, Md. (PEC Arena)
COPPIN STATE 66, SAVANNAH STATE 57
SAVANNAH STATE (2-10, 0-1 MEAC)
ALLEN,Kaylee 7-22 3-3 18; JOHNSON,Teyah 4-9 1-2 10; MOTON,Heniaya 3-6 2-2 8;
SCOTT,Donasja 2-7 3-4 8; GALLISHAW,Sabree 1-2 2-2 4; ANDERSON,Jacqueline 1-1
0-0 3; SOWELL,Alexxus 1-2 0-0 2; GRAY,Jalea 1-1 0-0 2; BARTLETT,Jazmine 0-1
2-2 2; VANCE,Kayla 0-1 0-0 0; FARMER,Nadia 0-1 0-0 0; RUSSELL,Praise 0-2 0-0
0. Totals 20-55 13-15 57.
COPPIN STATE (2-12, 1-1 MEAC)
LUCAS,Genesis 5-17 5-5 17; GRAHAM,Chance 6-17 3-6 15; BEVERLY,Candice 7-10
0-4 14; SMITH,Maraiyah 3-8 4-4 11; CROOMS,Mia 3-8 1-3 7; BRADFORD,Ny'sja 0-1
2-2 2; TAYLOR,Alexis 0-1 0-0 0; ALBERT,Patricia 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 24-66
15-24 66.
Savannah State................    8   19   14   16  -   57
Coppin State..................   15   24   16   11  -   66
3-point goals--Savannah State 4-15 (JOHNSON,Teyah 1-1; SCOTT,Donasja 1-1;
ALLEN,Kaylee 1-7; ANDERSON,Jacqueline 1-1; BARTLETT,Jazmine 0-1;
FARMER,Nadia 0-1; RUSSELL,Praise 0-1; MOTON,Heniaya 0-2), Coppin State 3-14
(LUCAS,Genesis 2-8; SMITH,Maraiyah 1-4; CROOMS,Mia 0-2). Fouled
out--Savannah State-None, Coppin State-None. Rebounds--Savannah State 35
(ALLEN,Kaylee 9), Coppin State 47 (GRAHAM,Chance 19). Assists--Savannah
State 11 (ALLEN,Kaylee 4), Coppin State 18 (LUCAS,Genesis 9). Total
fouls--Savannah State 23, Coppin State 15. Technical fouls--Savannah
State-None, Coppin State-None. A-428
 
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