WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Interstat) — William & Mary defeated Coppin State 72-65 in a nonconference women’s basketball game Saturday at Kaplan Arena. The Tribe used a strong second quarter to build a lead and withstood a late push from the Eagles. William & Mary led 39-30 at halftime and maintained a cushion despite Coppin State’s 23-point fourth quarter. Khila Morris led all scorers with 19 points for Coppin State. Natalie Fox paced William & Mary with 18 points. William & Mary improved to 5-4. Coppin State fell to 2-10. Attendance was 793.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Interstat) — In a game defined by runs and resilience, the William & Mary women’s basketball team held off a furious fourth-quarter rally from Coppin State to secure a 72-65 victory on Saturday afternoon at Kaplan Arena. The Tribe improved to 5-4 on the season, while the Eagles fell to 2-10 despite a heroic scoring effort from guard Khila Morris. William & Mary appeared to seize control of the contest with a dominant second quarter. After the teams finished the opening period knotted at 17-17, the Tribe unleashed a 22-13 frame to take a 39-30 lead into halftime. The surge was fueled by balanced scoring and defensive pressure, forcing eight Coppin State turnovers in the quarter which led to 10 points. Natalie Fox, the Tribe’s 6-foot-4 forward from Lagrangeville, New York, was instrumental during the stretch, scoring 10 of her 18 points in the first half while also contributing four assists. Coppin State’s offense struggled to find consistency against William & Mary’s interior defense. The Tribe dominated points in the paint, outscoring the Eagles 42-26, and consistently turned defensive stops into transition opportunities. Cassidy Geddes of William & Mary was a catalyst in the backcourt, finishing with 12 points, five assists and five steals. The third quarter was a defensive slog, with both teams managing only 12 points. William & Mary maintained its nine-point cushion heading into the final period, leading 51-42. The game seemed destined for a comfortable Tribe victory until Khila Morris and the Eagles ignited. The fourth quarter became the Khila Morris show. The 5-foot-11 guard from the Bronx, New York, who finished with a game-high 19 points, spearheaded a relentless Coppin State comeback. The Eagles exploded for 23 points in the final frame, erasing the deficit with a combination of defensive intensity and timely shooting. Morris scored 11 points in the quarter, including a critical 3-pointer with 5:47 remaining that cut the William & Mary lead to 60-58, capping a 16-9 run to start the period. The most important sequence of the game followed immediately. With momentum fully shifted and the home crowd silenced, William & Mary’s Alexa Mikeska answered the call. The junior guard from Carlsbad, California, who tallied 11 points and five assists, drove for a layup on the ensuing possession to push the lead back to four. After a Coppin State miss, Mikeska found Fox for a jumper to extend the advantage to 64-58 with 5:16 left, momentarily halting the Eagle surge. Coppin State, however, refused to relent. Erin Henry, who scored 17 points, hit a 3-pointer with 2:28 to play to pull the Eagles within 66-65, marking the closest they had been since the early second quarter. The stage was set for a tense finish. In the final two minutes, William & Mary’s experience and composure at the free-throw line proved decisive. After Mikeska converted a tough layup while being fouled and made the ensuing free throw to make it 69-65, the Tribe sealed the game at the stripe. Guard Monet Dance, who provided a crucial spark off the bench with 12 points, was fouled twice in the closing seconds and calmly sank three of four free throws to provide the final margin. Coppin State’s last-gasp attempts from beyond the arc fell short. Beyond Morris and Henry for Coppin State, Paris McBride directed the offense with eight assists, and Patricia Sosa Lora added 10 points and two blocks. For William & Mary, Fox’s 18 points and four assists led the way, supported by Mikeska’s all-around play, Geddes’ defensive energy, and Dance’s scoring punch off the bench. The game was played in front of 793 fans at Kaplan Arena. William & Mary now travels to Florida for games against Stetson and Bethune-Cookman next weekend. Coppin State looks to bounce back when it visits Temple on Friday.

Preview: Coppin State Eagles at William & Mary Tribe WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (Interstat) — The William & Mary Tribe looks to continue its recent momentum when it hosts the struggling Coppin State Eagles in a nonconference women’s basketball game Saturday at Kaplan Arena. The Tribe (4-4) enters on a three-game winning streak, including a 73-60 road victory over American on Dec. 7. A key catalyst has been the emergence of guard Jana Sallman. After limited minutes early in the season, Sallman has averaged 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists over the last two contests, including a 20-point, 7-rebound, 5-assist performance against American. “We’re finding a better rhythm and players are stepping into their roles,” said William & Mary coach Erin Dickerson Davis. “Defensive consistency has been a focus for us.” Conversely, Coppin State (2-9) seeks to halt a two-game skid following a 49-57 loss at SMU on Wednesday. The Eagles have faced a daunting early schedule with road games against power-conference opponents Oklahoma and Tennessee. Guard Khila Morris has been a bright spot, leading the team in scoring in two of the last three games. She logged 37 minutes and scored 15 points in the loss to SMU. Morris averages 32.9 minutes per game, underscoring her importance as a primary ball-handler and scorer. “Khila has been our steady force,” said Coppin State coach Jermaine Woods. “We need to execute better around her and limit our defensive lapses.” William & Mary holds a distinct advantage in offensive production, averaging 64.6 points per game compared to Coppin State’s 54.5. The Eagles have also been outscored by an average of 22.2 points per game in their nine losses. This marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs. For William & Mary, it is the final home game before a two-game trip to Florida. Coppin State continues a challenging road stretch before returning to Baltimore for a game against Temple on Dec. 19. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. EST Saturday at Kaplan Arena.