TOWSON, Md. (Interstat) — A dominant first-quarter performance and sharp three-point shooting propelled the Towson Tigers to a 65-54 victory over the visiting Coppin State Eagles in a non-conference women’s basketball game Sunday at SECU Arena.

The Tigers seized control early, outscoring the Eagles 20-12 in the opening period and never relinquishing the lead. Towson’s offense was fueled by its efficiency from beyond the arc, where it connected on 12 of 23 attempts, while Coppin State struggled to keep pace, making just 5 of 16 from deep.

Towson’s Tilda Sjökvist, a guard from Huskvarna, Sweden, led all scorers with 15 points and added five assists in 29 minutes of action. Her backcourt mate, Viki Matulevicius of Willowbrook, Illinois, provided a significant spark off the bench, contributing 14 points, all of which came in the first half to help build the early advantage.

The Tigers’ interior defense was anchored by Kayla Morris of Harlem, New York, who recorded a formidable six blocked shots and pulled down nine rebounds despite scoring just a single point. Zoli Khalil from Rockingham County, Virginia, also made her presence felt with 11 points and six rebounds for Towson.

Coppin State, which fell behind by as many as 14 points in the first half, was led by Erin Henry of Joliet, Illinois, and Patricia Sosa Lora of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, who each scored 12 points. Khila Morris from the Bronx, New York, filled the stat sheet for the Eagles with eight points, six rebounds, five assists, and a block.

The Eagles chipped away at the deficit after halftime, narrowing the gap to just six points late in the third quarter. However, Towson responded with a 9-2 run to start the fourth quarter, re-establishing a double-digit lead and effectively stifling Coppin State’s comeback attempt.

Turnovers plagued the Eagles throughout the contest, as they committed 18 giveaways compared to 15 for the Tigers. Towson capitalized on those mistakes, registering 12 steals. Coppin State did find an advantage on the offensive glass, grabbing 13 rebounds to Towson’s eight, but could not convert those second chances sufficiently, shooting just 32.8 percent from the field overall.

With the win, Towson improves its season record to 3-2. The Tigers, who were projected as heavy favorites by advanced metrics, have now won two of their last three games. Coppin State drops to 1-4 with the loss, continuing a challenging early-season schedule that has included games against power-conference opponents.

An announced crowd of 506 attended the game at SECU Arena. Towson returns to action Sunday, Nov. 23, at Maryland-Baltimore County. Coppin State’s next contest is also on Nov. 23, a road game at Tennessee.