Evaluating the Coppin State Eagles most important wins so far this season

The Coppin State Lady Eagles are having their best regular season thus far since 2021-22 season, when they finished 15-13. As the program looks to close out its non-conference schedule and the first part of the season, it's clear that they believe.

Last season, Coppin was bounced in the semifinals of the MEAC tournament after losing to the eventual MEAC Champion Norfolk State Spartans 73-44. This season, the Lady Eagles are 7-5 and are coming off a 64-61 overtime win against George Washington.

Laila Lawrence has elevated her game this season, along with her leadership. She has been one of the factors that allowed this team to get off to a solid start while knocking off strong opponents.

Evaluating the Lady Eagles' season so far may not seem like much for some, but there are two important wins that will help this team continue to improve.

Last Thursday, Coppin State upset the Big-12's Arizona State, 74-68 in overtime, for the first time in school history. Angel Jones led the team in scoring with 23 points, while Lawrence snatched nine rebounds and dished out five assists.

Coppin State is already making history this season

CSU's win last Thursday was the first time in school history that the program defeated a Power 4 school. ASU dominated the glass with 42 rebounds in comparison to the Gold & Blue's 39 rebounds.

On the flip side, the Lady Eagles locked in on defense, forcing 20 turnovers from the Lady Sun Devils. Coppin State head coach Jermaine Woods emphasized the importance of not giving away any points, limiting turnovers, and locking in on defense. Coppin's win over Arizona State is their most important win of the season because they held the Devils to 38.8 percent shooting from the floor and 35 percent from beyond the arc.

The Lady Eagles were outsized but crashed the glass, ran after loose balls, double-teamed effectively in the post and set the tone at home.

After defeating Arizona State, Coppin State defeated George Washington for the first time in program history five days later. Similar to their victory over ASU, the Lady Eagles focused on defense. They held the Revolutionaries to 17.6 percent shooting from downtown which is something the team depends on.

Lawrence dominated the game, finishing with 21 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 blocks while shooting 50 percent from the floor and leading her team in both scoring and rebounding.

Senior guard Tiffany Hammond played 43 minutes and provided the team with 9 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds to help take some of the weight off the offense.

Jones chipped in with 11 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds despite struggling with her shot. Arielle-Vadrelle Belinga cashed in 9 points off 4-of-5 shooting. Her impact off the bench will be important as the season wears on and rotations may shortened.

This win over GW was significant because of the team's ability to win by locking in on defense and not being overwhelmed by their shooting percentage. Tuesday's game showed that the Lady Eagles can win in close games despite the flow of their offense.

The non-conference play can negatively impact HBCUs' records, flow, and confidence, but CSU has risen to the occasion, and it will only strengthen its team once conference play comes around in January.