RALEIGH, N.C. -- Rashida Suber saved Coppin State not once, but twice in the final 22 seconds yesterday.
Moments after the senior barely avoided a five-second violation on an inbounds play with a crucial timeout, Suber came out of a scramble at midcourt with the ball, leading to a game-winning, belief-defying scoop shot that beat North Carolina A&T;, 72-70, in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's championship game.
Just like that, Coppin escaped overtime and went from crying to, well, crying.
"They were tears of joy," Suber said, a black MEAC championship hat adorning her head, after she delivered Coppin (22-11) to the NCAA tournament for the third time in four years.
The tears of sadness belonged to the top-seeded Aggies (25-7), who effectively had home-court advantage at the RBC Center and forced 30 turnovers with their pressure defense.
Vindication belonged to the second-seeded Eagles, though, for a season and a game in which they struggled early only to overcome in the end.
"We probably played the poorest half we played this year," Coppin coach Derek Brown said after the Eagles had 18 turnovers in the first 20 minutes. "I told them at halftime as bad as we played, we were only down seven points [32-25]. That tells us if we just go out and play our game in the second half, we can get back in it."
To get through North Carolina A&T;'s three-quarter court pressure, Brown used a different press break after halftime and sent 6-foot-3 Whitney Cunningham through the middle. The Aggies still got turnovers, but more often, the Eagles got baskets.
A 14-2 Coppin run produced a five-point lead midway through the second half, and an 8-2 run gave the Eagles a 60-57 lead with five minutes left.
Everyone did her part. Shalamar Oakley, the MEAC's Player of the Year, scored 14 points and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Danielle Anders scored 14 of her 18 points in the second half, including a perfect 8-for-8 at the foul line in the final five minutes. Cunningham dominated inside with 15 points, 16 rebounds and two blocked shots.
But in the end, it was Suber, last year's MEAC Player of the Year, who saved the day and gave the Eagles their 11th straight win.
The Aggies tied the game at 70 on a three-point basket by Amber Bland with 22.2 seconds left. Suber had trouble on the ensuing inbounds play and called time. A&T; coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs said later she thought a five-second violation should have been called.
It was not.
After the timeout, Coppin got the ball to midcourt, where Oakley, the point guard, lost the ball on a double team. Suber retrieved the loose ball, broke for the basket with a defender on her hip and threw up a shot at a tough angle with four seconds left for the last of her 19 points. Jalessa Sams was wide on a desperation last-second shot for A&T.;
"As soon as the ball came out, I knew I had to go [to the basket]," Suber said. "I had a chance to scoop it up there and it went in. Every player dreams about making the big shot."
But not every player gets to close out her career with such a storybook ending. Suber, who was named to the all-tournament team with Oakley, will be going to her fourth straight postseason tournament. Last year, she had to settle for the Women's National Invitation Tournament.
"We got back where we needed to be," Suber said.ken.murray@baltsun.com
COPPIN STATE-Anders 5-11 8-8 18, Martin 1-4 0-0 2, Cunningham 7-10 1-4 15, Oakley 4-12 6-8 14, Suber 8-16 0-0 19, Downing 2-3 0-0 4, Johnson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-57 15-20 72. NORTH CAROLINA A&T-Smalley; 8-16 2-3 18, Taylor-James 2-7 5-6 9, Rembert 2-7 1-2 5, Cook 3-8 3-4 10, Bland 4-10 0-0 10, Alford 3-4 2-4 9, Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Neely 0-0 0-0 0, Sams 3-12 3-4 9. Totals 25-64 16-23 70. Half-N.C. A&T; 32-25. 3-point goals-Coppin State 3-6 (Suber 3-5, Oakley 0-1); N.C. A&T; 4-13 (Sams 0-2, Smalley 0-1, Alford 1-1, Bland 2-6, Taylor-James 0-1, Cook 1-2). Fouled out-Smalley. Rebounds-Coppin State 40 (Cunningham 16); N.C. A&T; 27 (Taylor-James, Cook 6). Assists-Coppin State 20 (Oakley 9); N.C. A&T; 13 (Sams 5). Total fouls-Coppin State 16, N.C. A&T; 15. A-N/A.