BALTIMORE – Kailyn Williams scored 20 points, while Kendra Cooper and Ashanti Hunt added 14 and 13 respectively as Bethune-Cookman maintained its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference lead with a 76-56 victory at Coppin State Saturday.

The Lady Wildcats (13-9 overall, 9-1 MEAC) won their fourth straight game since a 59-56 loss on Jan. 21 to Maryland Eastern Shore – a team they face Monday night. With Hampton losing at Howard, Bethune-Cookman now leads the league by a game and a half over Hampton.

Williams scored 15 points on 6-8 shooting in the first half as Bethune-Cookman pulled away from a 22-22 second quarter tie for a 36-28 halftime lead. Williams had eight points in that 14-6 run, while Kanesha Battle drained a pair of three-pointers for the other six.

Cooper had nine third-quarter points as the Lady Wildcats extended their lead to 57-40. Coppin State (5-18, 5-5) never got closer than 13 in the final quarter.

Hunt had six rebounds, five steals and three blocks in addition to her 13 points.

The Eagles jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead, but the Lady Wildcats responded with a 15-2 run and never trailed again.

Keena Samuels led Coppin State with 18. 

HEAD COACH VANESSA BLAIR LEWIS

"We started slow and we then we got into a rhythm and then we get Kendra in foul trouble. we had to generate points other ways. Kailyn was big for us .. we had to establish an inside game.."

"We knew Coppin State was going to come at us. If they're going to play us high and wide, then we going to shoot the lane and continue to the basket.

It got us to the line, and it got us and us "and ones""

"I keep reiterating that our struggles during non-conference may have seemed like a curse at the time, but now it seems like a blessing because it focused

us to work on our defense."

"We're able to get both offense and defense from Ashanti." 

 

KAILYN WILLIAMS

"I knew we had to come out score and get a lead. Second half, we put it all together. "

"If I'm not scoring, someone else is."

[On Ashanti Hunt's third quarter highlight reel block]: I was down the court and saw it and thought "Ashanti made that?" It was amazing! It looked like me. Kailyn-like block. I like that."

ASHANTI HUNT

"Driving to the basket is my game. If they're not going to take away the drive, keep doing it."

"My teammates help me, so I have to help them in return. If that means playing defense, that's what I'll do."
 

NOTES: B-CU clinched a third consecutive winning season in MEAC play. The last time that happened was a six-year run from 1984-1990 under Alvin Wyatt Sr...

B-CU has won four in a row despite not winning the rebounding battle in any game..For the second game in a row, B-CU gave up just three three-pointers

This was Kailyn William's second 20-point game of the season and her fourth straight in double figures...Cooper has been in double figures six straight games and seven of the last eight; she passed Carmen Sanders (1,188) for fifth on the all-time scoring list.