Vickers Postgame Interview

NORFOLK, Va. – A 7-0 run spanning two minutes and 14 seconds late in the fourth quarter carried Coppin State to a 54-51 win over Norfolk State on Saturday evening inside Joseph Echols Hall. The Lady Eagles (4-23, 4-11 MEAC) scored eight of the game's last 12 points to escape with the win.
 
CSU's Jalynda Salley and Brooke Fields contributed the last 10 points of the contest for the Lady Eagles and were key cogs to Saturday's performance. Salley, the reigning conference rookie of the week, scored a game-high 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting and grabbed six rebounds. Fields, the latest MEAC player of the week, added 15 points, a game-best five assists and two treys.
 
The game's outcome was decided at the 3-point arc, where Coppin State was 7-of-20 and Norfolk State (14-13, 9-5) was just 2-for-15. Kaiya Coleman knocked down three of her six attempts from deep to lead all players and ended the game with 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
 
NSU struggled to get stops in the first quarter as Coppin State shot 58.3-percent from the floor and 3-of-5 from deep en route to a 17-11 lead after the opening period.
 
The game started on a high note for the Spartans after La'Deja James twice jumped passing lanes for a steal and an easy transition layup. Her second breakaway score put NSU on top 4-0 and forced the Lady Eagles to call timeout with 8:08 remaining in the quarter.
 
Danyael Goodhope pushed NSU ahead 7-0 with a trey, but CSU woke up and closed the quarter on a 17-4 run over the final 6:49.
 
An 8-2 run to close the quarter gave the Lady Eagles their second lead of the period, and CSU would not relinquish that advantage until the midway point of the third quarter.
 
A second-quarter slump from the CSU offense allowed the Spartans to halve the deficit by halftime. The Lady Eagles scored just nine points in the quarter and were 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) from the field.
 
Coppin State led 22-11 after only 46 seconds and were up by 10, 24-14, with 7:30 remaining in the half. From there, the Spartans ran to the break on a 7-2 run and trailed 26-23 at the intermission.
 
The Lady Eagles struck first in the third quarter, but Norfolk State strung together a 10-0 run to regain the lead. All 10 of those points came from close range or the foul line, and the Spartans scored 12 of their 17 points in the quarter from inside the painted area.
 
Zairya West gave NSU its first lead of the game since it led 9-8 with 4:42 left in the first quarter when she laid it in on the break at the 6:34 mark. West scored all six of her points in the third quarter and finished the game with a career-high three steals.
 
West also capped the 10-0 run with a layup to put the Spartans ahead 33-28 with 5:03 left in the quarter, but CSU had an immediate answer with a 3-pointer. Another Lady Eagle trey, this one from Fields, found the bottom of the net with four seconds remaining and made it a one-point game, 40-39, going into the final 10 minutes.
 
Norfolk State held Coppin State at bay for the first 7:12 of the fourth quarter but never built a lead greater than three points. Khadedra Croker broke a 46-all deadlock with a free throw with 3:03 remaining, but the Spartans went scoreless for the next 2:47 while the Lady Eagles rallied with the deciding 7-0 run.
 
Dana Echols broke the dry spell with a layup and pulled NSU to within four points at 53-49. James then hit two free throws 12 seconds later to make it a one possession game, 54-51.
 
With a chance to tie the game, the Spartans turned the ball over on their next possession and were forced to foul. After missing her first free throw, Coleman's second attempt was no good, but Coppin State secured the offensive rebound and sealed the victory.
 
Seven Spartans scored five or more points in the loss, led by 10 from James. She was the lone NSU player in double figures and shared the game high with three steals. As a team, NSU showcased active hands and had 11 steals.
 
Norfolk State assisted on only six of its 20 field goals and turned the ball over 18 times. Those six assists match a season-low for the Spartans, who also assisted six times in their 62-41 loss to Lehigh on Nov. 24.
 
Croker accounted for all four of NSU's blocks in the game and moved even closer to the program's career blocks record. The redshirt senior now has 147 rejections and is five blocks away from matching Kayla Roberts' record of 152.
 
A quick turnaround awaits the Spartans, who now travel for a Monday game at Delaware State. That contest is scheduled for a 5:30 p.m. start.