Coppin State Eagles (8-12, 4-3 MEAC) at North Carolina A&T Aggies (11-7, 3-2 MEAC)
Date: January 28, 2013
Time: 6 p.m.
Facility: Corbett Sports Center
Series: A&T leads, 30-27

PROBABLE STARTERS: G Ariel Bursey (5-10 So., 5.6 ppg, 2.3 rpg,1.2 apg); G Amber Calvin (5-8 RJr., 9.9 ppg, 2.8 rbg, 2.3 apg); F Tracy King (5-10 Jr., 10.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.8 apg); F JaQuayla Berry (5-11 Sr., 12.2 ppg, 6.7 rbg, 1.1 apg); C Eboni Ross (6-2 RFr., 5.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 0.2 apg)

CHIT CHAT:  The Aggies scored a season-high 90 points on Saturday, they also allowed a season-high 53 second-half points.  For A&T head coach Tarrell Robinson, the Aggies need to do a better job of playing defense in both halves. For Robinson, playing hard-nosed defense in the second half and using a killer instinct to finish off an opponent is what will help the Aggies achieve their goal of winning the MEAC regular-season and tournament championship titles.  The Aggies have allowed their opponent to score more points in the second half than in the first half in 50 percent of their games this season.  While the Aggies have only lost one of those nine games, that's a trend that Robinson wants to change.

From the Coach
"I told them the championship teams that I've been a part of have taken care of business in the second half too.  That's something that we're trying to build toward."
A&T head coach Tarrell Robinson after Saturday's 90-73 victory over Morgan State

It's A "Lock": The Aggies are 3-0 in games this season when four or more people score in double figures.  On Saturday, Tracy King scored all 22 of her points in the second half, while Amber Calvin had 16 points, JaQuayla Berry had 14 and Ariel Bursey added a career-best13.  

The Opponent: Coppin State enters Corbett Sports Center after defeating N.C. Central on Saturday.  The Eagles are tied for fifth in the conference with S.C. State.  The Eagles are led by senior Leola Spotwood, who is averaging a team-best 11.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game this season.  Junior forward Kyra Coleman is averaging 11.3 points, while senior Shawntae Payne is averaging 10.5 points.  Coppin State is averaging 62.3 points per game, but they are also allowing that same average to opponents.  The Eagles were picked to finish third in the conference. They return three starters and eight letterwinners from last year's team that went 20-12 overall and 13-3 in the MEAC.  

Potential Gameday Star Power: North Carolina A&T:  Junior Tracy King posted her second double-double of the season with 22 points and a career-high 13 rebounds against Morgan State.  She leads the team with an average of 17.2 points per game in MEAC contests, and has scored in double figures in her last five games. Coppin State: Senior forward Leola Spotwood leads the Eagles with 11.9 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.  She has led the team in scoring seven times this season.  She had a team-best 14 points against the Aggies with five assists and three steals in their last meeting. 

The Magic Number for A&T: 8: The Aggies will have just eight players available for the third straight game on Monday.  Senior Nikia Gorham continues to be unavailable due to knee injury, and sophomore Jessica Lyons will have to sit out against Coppin State for the second straight game due to a concussion she sustained in a collision with Eboni Ross for a loose ball on Jan. 19 against Howard.    

FROM THE NOTES:

Redshirt junior Amber Calvin had a team-high 26 points with six assist and three steals in 35 minutes against the Eagles in the last meeting with Coppin State on March 8, 2012. 

Calvin scored 24 points in the second half to carry the Aggies to nearly completing one of the greatest comebacks in program history against Coppin State.  Behind 23 points with 15:55 left in the game, Calvin helped lead the Aggies to a five-point lead with 4:44 remaining in the game.  The Aggies lost the game 78-74 as turnovers and missed free throws allowed Coppin State to regain the lead.