South Carolina's Staley on playing at Coppin State: I think it's good on all fronts

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BALTIMORE (AP) — Dawn Staley's visit to Coppin State was a success for just about everyone. South Carolina won by 42 points, and the Eagles had more than 3,000 fans in their arena.

The only hint of disappointment came when Staley was told that LSU drew even more fans at Coppin State back in 2023.

“You all shouldn't have told me that," the Hall of Fame coach said playfully.

Staley and the Gamecocks shouldn't feel bad. That LSU game was basically a homecoming to Baltimore for Angel Reese, and South Carolina ended up winning its game by more than its SEC rival had, beating Coppin State 90-48 on Sunday.

The attendance was 3,371 in the 4,100-seat PEC Arena. Coppin State hosted Maryland in 2021, and LSU came in two years later and beat the Eagles 80-48. This was a chance to bring another big-name program to Baltimore.

“I think it’s good on all fronts," Staley said.

South Carolina is 28-0 against historically Black college and university teams under Staley, and four of those games have been on the road.

“Talking to Coach Staley, it's tough for them to find games," Coppin State coach Darrell Mosley said. "You're top in the nation in wins and winning national championships, nobody really wants to play you.”

Before taking over at South Carolina, Staley coached at Temple, where scheduling was also tough.

“I remember when I was at Temple, we couldn’t get very many high-level Division I teams to play us, let alone play us on our home court," she said. "So I always think about those times and give people an opportunity to play a game like this.”

Coppin State was down by 25 at halftime — no shock there — but Khila Morris finished with 20 points for the Eagles and Paris McBride scored 12.

“Being able to host the No. 2 team in the nation, with Dawn Staley as a coach, and professional players that's going first round in the league, it's an amazing feeling," McBride said. "It's what you dream of to be a hooper."

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