Youth Serves Coppin State Well In Win Over Florida A&M Nicole Mitchell 03/10/11 Winston-Salem, NC—March 10—Kyra Coleman scored a game-high 22 points to lead four players in double figures and help Coppin State defeat Florida A&M, 76-64 in a MEAC Women’s Basketball Tournament quarterfinal at Joel Coliseum. The Lady Eagles (13-16), the Number 5 seed, will face Hampton, the Number 1 seed on Friday at Noon. Kyra Coleman got Coppin State off to a quick start, scoring 14 of her points in the first half en route to a 36-30 lead at the half. One of three freshmen starters on the young Lady Eagles squad, Coleman also grabbed seven rebounds and handed out three assists. “We talked about getting off to a good start,” said Coleman. “Our goal was to play consistently and keep our poise.” The Lady Rattlers (15-15), the Number 4 seed, missed 24 of their shots and were outrebounded 29-19. “We got off to a slow start in the first 5 to 6 minutes and dug ourselves into a hole,” lamented Florida A&M head coach LeDawn Gibson. “Some of it was nerves, but I thought that we would settle down and gain our composure.” Coppin State began the second half with an 11-2 run to take a 47-32 lead at the 16:56 mark. Shawntae Payne proved to a thorn in FAMU’s side in their attempted comeback, scoring 11 of her 17 points after intermission. Leola Spotwood also played a major role, recording a double-double of 13 points and 15 rebounds. And when Coleman was not scoring, she was making her presence felt in other areas with 10 rebounds, four assists and four steals. “A lot of our success tonight had to do with the job that our guards Dawnae Roberts and Ashle Craig,” said Coppin State head coach Derek Brown. “They did a great job getting the ball to the right people at the right time. Their eyes were open and it allowed for them to get people involved in the half-court and in transition game.” Brown continued, “As for Kyra, she just did a tremendous job on the boards.” Florida A&M was able to make mini runs on the scoring of All-MEAC first team selection Antonia Bennett’s 19 points and Qiana Donald’s double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds, but the Lady Eagles repelled their efforts each time with baskets off turnovers or second chance opportunities. “We didn’t take care of the ball,” said Coach Gibson. “We tried to force things that weren’t there. I’m still in shock at how we played. We’re a much better team than we showed tonight.” Payne contributed 17 off the bench for the Lady Eagles, Spotwood with 13 and Craig with 12. Tameka McKelton, an All-MEAC first-team selection, finished with 10 points and five assists for the Lady Rattlers.