BALTIMORE, Md. --  Coppin State took advantage of 16 Missouri State fouls to nearly erase an 11-point Lady Bear lead and head to intermission trailing MSU, 35-33, Friday afternoon at the Physical Education Complex. The Eagles hit on 13-of-20 free throw attempts, including 8-of-10 by Jeanine Manley, who totaled 16 points over the game’s first 20 minutes.

MSU was led by Casey Garrison’s 13 points and outrebounded the Eagles by a 22-17 margin.

Both clubs got off to a slow start offensively, combining to hit just two of the first 13 shots taken over the first four minutes of the contest. Jaleshia Roberson jump-started the MSU attack with five straight points, including her 132nd career three-pointer, to stake the Lady Bears to an 8-5 lead with just under 14 minutes to play.
 
Coppin State responded with a 9-0 spurt to build a 14-8 lead, its largest of the half. Crystal Whittington started the run with her first basket of the day at the 13:15 mark, then scored the next five for the Eagles.

A Kendra Roberts field goal with 10:52 remaining sparked a 20-3 run that would ultimately hand the Lady Bears an 11-point advantage with just over five minutes to play in the period. Garrison would hit back-to-back three-pointers, and Jasmine Malone would sink a pair of shots before the Lady Bears would score six straight points at the foul line. Regan Soldner’s field goal at the 5:07 mark put MSU up 28-17 and completed the run.

CSU clawed its way-literally-back into the game. Whittington and Tia Mays became entangled on the Coppin State end of the court and both were whistled for technical fouls, after Whittington unloaded a series of punches on Mays, who was on the floor with her back to the CSU junior. Garrison also sustained a cut above her right eye that required stiches to close. She would miss the last five minutes of the half.

Behind Manley, CSU scored 16 of the final 23 points of the period to draw to within 35-33. Manley went 7-of-8 from the foul line over the last 50 seconds.