Cooper-Dyke building UNC Wilmington into a winner

Cynthia Cooper-Dyke Photo Album

Excerpt:

She spent five seasons at Prairie View A&M - which had lost at least 20 games 12 times in the 15 years before her arrival - and won or shared three straight Southwestern Athletic Conference regular-season titles while taking the Panthers to NCAA tournaments in 2007 and '09.

"I felt like, being in the SWAC, no matter what we did, no matter who we played in the (nonconference schedule), we were always going to get that 16th seed and always be seeded against a No. 1,'' she said. "Because our RPI is so good (in the Colonial Athletic Association), I really felt like being in the CAA would give us an opportunity to legitimately fight for a title.''

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Cooper-Dyke Bringing Hall of Fame style, Broken Clipboards to UNC-Wilmington

TOWSON, Md. -- As Cynthia Cooper-Dyke turned to walk out a side door of the Towson Center to board the team bus for a seven-hour ride in the middle of the night back to Wilmington, N.C., it was gently brought to her attention that she had broken yet another clipboard in that night's game in frustration over her team's play.

"How many is that this year?" asked Cooper-Dyke. "Five," answered an assistant coach. There are three things that make that situation pregnant with irony. First, UNC-Wilmington, where Cooper-Dyke is in her first season as head coach, had just beaten Towson by 29.

Second, the win moved the Seahawks to a 21-6 overall record and to 13-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association, keeping them in contention for an at-large NCAA tournament bid.

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Hampton Pirates rebound with win over Towson

HAMPTON, Va. – The Hampton University men’s basketball team got back into the win column Monday night, defeating the Tigers of Towson University 78-67 at the HU Convocation Center.

The Pirates (8-2) controlled much of the second half, though Towson closed the gap to 61-55 with 6:52 to play when Dre Conner converted a 3-point play. The Pirates responded emphatically when senior forward Charles Funches (Jersey City, N.J.) threw down a one-handed dunk over Braxton Dupree, drawing the foul and converting the 3-point play at the 5:10 mark to give the Pirates a 68-57 lead.

Junior guard Christopher Tolson (Laurel, Md.) sank a trey with 2:01 to play to put Hampton up 76-63.

Hampton holds off Towson

HAMPTON, VA — Charles Funches posted career highs of 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead Hampton to a 78-67 victory over Towson on Monday night. The Pirates (8-2), coming off a 55-53 loss to Delaware that snapped their seven-game winning streak, shot 45.8 percent from the floor (27 of 59) and hit a season-best 11 of 20 3-pointers.

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North Carolina A&T overtakes UNC Wilmington

GREENSBORO, N.C. — N.C. A&T weathered 13 3-pointers by UNC Wilmington and won 84-79 in overtime Tuesday. "We're just so young," A&T coach Jerry Eaves said. "We have to learn how to finish games. We're going to have to grow with that."

The Aggies (2-3) used their quickness and defense to build a six-point first-half lead, forcing 12 turnovers. But the youth that Eaves lamented reared its head at the break as sophomore DaMetrius Upchurch was called for a technical for dunking during warm-ups.

After rallying in second half, UNCW falls in overtime at N.C. A&T

Greensboro, N.C. - Bad shots and turnovers infested the UNC-Wilmington offense during the first half Tuesday night against North Carolina A&T. Distracted by an upcoming break, the Seahawks paid for their sluggish start with a painful 84-79 overtime loss to the Aggies at the Corbett Sports Center.

UNCW (2-3) rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit with a flurry of 3-pointers and strong drives from its guards, including Ahmad Grant who hit 7-of-7 from behind-the-arc and scored a career-high 30 points.

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Videographer: SpeechlessQue (NCA&T Aggies Half-Time Show 11/20/2010)

Big win for Hampton Lady Pirates

Hampton University’s women’s basketball team opened its season with a statement, beating James Madison 69-64 in Harrisonburg in the first round of the women’s preseason NIT.

Senior Quanneisha Perry, the preseason MEAC player of the year, had 27 points and 17 rebounds as the Lady Pirates, the defending MEAC champions, defeated the defending CAA champions. Both teams made NCAA tournament trips last season.

JMU senior guard Dawn Evans, who averaged 24.6 points per game last season to earn honorable menion All-America honors, scored 25 points, but shot just 8-of-28 from the floor and was 6-of-18 from 3-point range.

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PVAMU recruit moves to UNC-Wimington

UNCW new head women's basketball coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke has instantly put the Seahawks program on the map for star recruits.

If you don't believe having a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame coach (class of 2010) of the caliber of Cynthia Cooper-Dyke is worth its weight in gold for your athletic department, think again. Coach Cooper-Dyke left Prairie View A&M University on last Friday, and a less than a week later, highly regarded recruits that were committed to the Lady Panthers basketball program are following Coach Cooper-Dyke to her new job at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, a program with no history of winning.

Virgin Islands 6 foot-4 star center Aesha Peters has backed out of her PVAMU basketball scholarship, signed last month, to follow Coach Cooper-Dyke to UNC-W. Peters averaged 13 points/11 boards and 4 blocks per game, but defensively shuts down the paint area in games.

PVAMU initially won the recruiting battle for Peters services over Florida International, Nova Southeastern, Georgia, South Carolina, Mississippi and Radford. Peters, who has been the talk of the V.I. territory since she was in the tenth grade, had tons of schools interested in her services. Some of the schools that had shown serious interest were Howard University, Indiana University, Rutgers, Georgia, UCLA, Jackson State and Nova Southeastern.

PVAMU has made no decision on the replacement of Coach Cooper-Dyke. Top assistant coach Toyelle Wilson may be considered by the school as the interim head coach, appointed the head coach or may decide to following Cooper-Dyke to UNCW.

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CAHS star to join ex-WNBA standout in UNC-Wilmington‎

ST. THOMAS, VI — Charlotte Amalie High School senior standout Aesha Peters accepted a full scholarship last month to play basketball at Prairie View A&M University and one of the main attractions, she said, was the chance to play under coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke. Cooper-Dyke, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player and one of the most decorated players in the history of women’s basketball, accepted the head coaching position at UNC-Wilmington last week. Peters announced Wednesday she plans to follow Cooper-Dyke to the Colonial Athletic Association school and hopefully become a member of her first Seahawk recruiting class.

“Coach Cooper has been through a lot and she brings that family atmosphere to the program,” said Peters, who tallied 13 points, 11.1 rebounds and four blocks a game during her senior year. “I’m very excited and I’m looking forward to playing for her.” Peters help lead the Lady Chickenhawks to an undefeated league record this past season and a third consecutive St. Thomas-St. John IAA title. She was named to the St. Thomas squad that competed at the 12th annual Sun Stroke All VI Hoop Classic on St. Croix last month. She is the only known player from the league so far to sign with a Division I school.

St. Croix Girls All-Stars' Veronique Llamos (L) has her shot stuffed by St. Thomas All-Stars' Aesha Peters, #2 blue. Peters is backing out of her national letter commitment to PVAMU to follow Cooper-Dyke to UNCW.

Cooper-Dyke, 47, turned around the program at Prairie View A&M in just five short years. She compiled an 85-72 overall record (64-26 mark in the Southwestern Athletic Conference) during her tenure and led the Panthers to the NCAA tournament in 2007 and 2009. At UNCW, Cooper-Dyke and Peters will face a similar challenge. The Seahawks have not earned an NCAA Tournament bid in the 24 years since competing in Division I. Meanwhile, CAA juggernauts Old Dominion and James Madison have stood atop the league standings in recent years.

“I’m excited to get out in the community, to create, to mentor, to mother, to lead these young women down the academic path to their degrees and, of course, down the path to a winning season, not only in the Colonial Athletic Association, but also nationally,” Cooper-Dyke said during a press conference Monday introducing her as the program’s ninth head coach.

It’s not known how many players from Cooper-Dyke’s initial recruiting class at Prairie View will follow her to UNCW. “The reality is that kids go to schools to play for certain coaches,” said CAHS coach Myron Corbett, who has assisted Peters throughout the recruitment process. “At the moment, Aesha has to do some paperwork with the NCAA. But she has been offered a full scholarship from Wilmington and is looking forward to playing in a more competitive league.” Corbett said Peters was aware of the possibility that Cooper-Dyke may land another job when she signed with Prairie View on April 15.

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PVAMU's Cooper-Dyke Named UNC-Wilmington Head Coach‎

Former Praire A&M University coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke leaves the Lady Panthers in better shape, with a 85-72 record/64-26 in the SWAC over the past five years and two NCAA Tournament appearances. The PVAMU alumna accepted a four year contract at UNCW starting at $110,000 for the first year, with an annual increase of $5,000, thereafter. In 24 years in Division I, UNCW Seahawks have a record of 304-430 with no post season appearances.

WILMINGTON, N.C. - Cynthia Cooper-Dyke has been named the head coach of women’s basketball at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. FOX 26 Sports first reported on Friday that Cooper-Dyke was the leading candidate for the coaching job. Cooper-Dyke, 47, will be formally introduced as the new head coach at a news conference on Monday. She will take over the helm of the Seahawk program following five years of success at Prairie View A&M University.

"I have agreed to a four-year contract and I'm excited," Cooper-Dyke said in an interview Monday with FOX 26 Sports. "Every coach, every player wants to grow and this is part of my growth process. "The Colonial Athletic Conference is a strong conference with schools like Old Dominion, Drexel and James Madison. It is going to be a huge challenge and I think that's what every coach wants." Cooper-Dyke said it is not easy leaving Prairie View A&M. "I'm always sad to leave a program that gave me a chance to be a Division One head coach," Cooper-Dyke said. "I will always love Prairie View and I will always consider them as family."

As a former college great, Olympic gold medalist and Women’s National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player, Cooper-Dyke will be enshrined into the James Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Aug. 13 in Springfield, Mass. “We’re thrilled to welcome Cynthia to the Seahawk family,” said Kelly Mehrtens, UNCW’s athletic director. “She has been ultra-successful at all stages of her life and I’m confident she will elevate our women’s basketball program. She has an intense passion for the game and loves motivating young people to achieve their best, both on and off the court.”
UNCW names Hall of Famer Cooper-Dyke women's hoops coach

Wilmington, N.C. (Michael Jordan's hometown) -- One of the greatest players in the history of women's basketball will soon call the Port City home. UNC Wilmington will introduce Cynthia Cooper-Dyke as its women's basketball coach at a Monday afternoon news conference. Cooper-Dyke replaces Ann Hancock, whose contract was not renewed. Cooper-Dyke will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame later this year.

A native of Chicago, Cooper-Dyke was a four-year standout at Southern California, where she sparked the Women of Troy to back-to-back NCAA championships in 1983 and 1984. She later completed her Bachelor’s Degree at Prairie View A&M. Cooper-Dyke, 47, collected four medals while representing the United States. She won a gold medal at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, captured gold at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, claimed gold at the 1990 FIBA World Championship in Malaysia, and won bronze at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games. Cooper-Dyke began her professional career overseas and played 10 seasons in Spain and Italy. She returned to the United States in 1997 to play with the Houston Comets of the newly-formed WNBA.

Cooper-Dyke file

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I can understand Coach Cooper-Dyke making this move...all you need is one visit to the seaside town of Wilmington, N.C. and the campus of North Carolina-Wilmington and you will be packing up the family for a quick move. Never found a college town so peaceful and relaxing on a sunny fall day with beautiful weather nearly year round. I had the opportunity of driving my son over to Wilmington for a soccer tournament last year and enjoyed the entire day in Wilmington and the UNCW campus. Definitely a beach front city you would want to take the family for an inexpensive vacation. The magnet here is the lack of excessive commercial development that you find in most ocean front communities.

However, dang shame the SWAC and MEAC let a Hall of Fame coach get away to a directional school with no history of winning for $117,500 average salary over four years. Cooper-Dyke replaces Ann Hancock, who was fired. Hancock received a salary of $87,167 for the final season of her 10 year career at UNCW. (beepbeep)

Morgan State beats Towson for eighth straight, 80-64

Morgan State forward Marquise Kately (right) makes a shot over Towson forward Jarrel Smith (22) in the first half.

Reggie Holmes leads way with 18 points

Add the Colonial Athletic Association to the list of conferences that have been victimized by the ever-improving Morgan State basketball team this season. After beating teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference ( Maryland) and Big East (DePaul), the Bears added Towson of the CAA to their portfolio of victories yesterday, never trailing in the first Bracketbuster appearance by a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member in an 80-64 romp at Towson Center.

Granted, Towson (9-20) is not among the premier teams in one of the toughest mid-major leagues in the country, but it was still a significant win for the Bears, their eighth in a row and 10th in the past 11 games. "We appreciate the opportunity to participate in the Bracketbuster, representing not only ourselves, but the conference," Morgan coach Todd Bozeman said. "We want to one day have all the [MEAC] teams participate."

Said Tigers coach Pat Kennedy: "This is a very solid Morgan team. We were concerned about their balance, and their flow and consistency were much sharper than ours. It seemed like every time we had an opportunity, we made tough decisions that turned into bad plays."All five Bears starters scored in double figures, with Reggie Holmes (St.Frances) leading the way with 18 and Jermaine "Itchy" Bolden (Douglass) adding 16 and nine assists. Marquise Kately also had 16 points, and freshman Kevin Thompson (Walbrook) pitched in with 12 points, five assists and nine rebounds.

Morgan had a 51-35 edge on rebounds.Morgan (18-10) has now beaten MEAC rival Coppin State and UMBC in addition to Maryland and Towson.

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Hampton beats William and Mary for third CAA win

The Pirates used a strong second-half surge to build a lead that stood up to William and Mary's late rally for a 70-63 victory at the HU Convocation Center. Hampton ran its record to 6-6 going into a break until its Jan. 12 game with Bethune-Cookman, its second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the start to the full conference schedule.

The Tribe, falling short of coach Tony Shaver's 400th career victory, takes a 3-7 mark into Colonial Athletic Association play. It had won the last three meetings with HU.

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