Women's Basketball Hangs On at William and Mary, 49-46

Thursday, January 15

Williamsburg, Va.

7:00 p.m.

Drexel University

10-6 (4-1CAA)

William & Mary

6-10 (0-5CAA)

Drexel

William & Mary

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Women's Basketball Hangs On at William and Mary, 49-46

1/15/2015 9:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – History nearly repeated itself. Almost exactly a year after the Drexel women's basketball team got its first-ever triple-double from Abby Redick in an 89-49 win over William & Mary, senior Jamila Thompson threatened to record the second, finishing just short with six points, 11 rebounds, 12 assists, seven steals and five blocks. The Dragons were the team with 49 points this year, but it was just enough as they held off the host Tribe, 49-46. Drexel improved to 10-6 with the win, and moved to 4-1 in CAA play.

Thompson's all-around effort established a number of career highs, including both totals in her second-career double-double. The London native, whose first double-double effort came just four days ago against UNCW, established personal bests with her assists, rebounds, steals and blocks. She finished just one assist shy of a program record, and became the first Dragon to block five shots in a game since Brooke Cornish had six on January 22, 2009.

Rachel Pearson led all scorers with 19, firing on all cylinders to the tune of 5-for-7 shooting from long range and 7-for-11 shooting overall. She added three steals and her first block of the season. Jazmen Boone led the Tribe (6-10, 0-5), scoring 15 points.

Thompson was all over the court at the start. The senior scored four quick points, helping Drexel overcome a brief early 4-0 hole, and went to work in all other facets of the game. By halftime, she had seven rebounds and career highs in assists, steals and blocks. Her five blocks in the first half alone already made her the first Dragon to record that many in a game since Brook Cornish had six on January 22, 2009 against Northeastern.

Pearson also came out firing, hitting her first two from long distance and three of four that she took in the first half. Pearson finished with 11 points in the period, leading all scorers. The Dragons led by as many as 12, 23-11, building that lead by holding the Tribe scoreless for 8:04. After they snapped out of that, William & Mary responded to close the half on an 8-0 spurt of their own, sending the game into the break at 23-19.

Coming out of the half, Thompson and the Dragons got things right back in their control. On the Dragons' first possession of the period, Thompson hit a lay-up. After a Tribe turnover, Thompson found Pearson spotting up behind the arc. She nailed the trey, stretching the Dragons' lead back to nine. Thompson pulled down a rebound after William & Mary's Kyla Kerstetter missed a jumper, then found a cutting Jackie Schluth to make it an 11-point game and prompting a William & Mary timeout.

The Dragons led by as many as 13 points after halftime, with 13:35 remaining when Pearson drained her fifth three-pointer of the night to make it 39-26. Their lead remained double digits for the next nine minutes, until Abby Rendle put in two of her 14 points to get the lead down to eight, 45-37. After a turnover, William & Mary made it a six-point game with 4:33 remaining.

Although Drexel scored the next four points to get the lead back to nine with 3:32 remaining, the Tribe did not go away. In fact, they allowed just one more Drexel point over the rest of the way. Drexel finished 4-for-8 from the free throw line on the evening, its worst percentage of the season. The Dragons' defense stepped up when they needed it, though. Up by just two with 48 seconds to play, the Dragons denied William & Mary any looks on the Tribe's last real offensive possession. The Tribe did not even get a shot off before a shot clock violation was called, giving Drexel the ball back with 16 seconds remaining. Schluth hit one of her two free throws, and a long three-point attempt by the Tribe fell short just before the buzzer.

The Dragons will remain in Virginia over the weekend. Making its longest road trip of the regular season, Drexel will take on James Madison on Sunday afternoon in Harrisonburg. That game is set to tip off at 2:00 p.m. Drexel sits just one game behind the Dukes for first place in the CAA. James Madison, which was picked to win the league, has yet to lose in CAA play, coming into Sunday's tilt 5-0.