Women's Basketball Nets Homecoming Win over Delaware, 61-56

Sunday, January 25

Daskalakis Athletic Center

2:00 p.m.

Drexel University

12-7, 6-2CAA

Delaware

8-11, 3-5CAA

DELAWARE

DREXEL

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Women's Basketball Nets Homecoming Win over Delaware, 61-56

1/25/2015 5:06:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – The Drexel women's basketball team capped off a successful Homecoming Weekend for the University with a 61-56 victory over Delaware on Sunday afternoon. Rachel Pearson scored 17 points and Sarah Curran added 14 as the Dragons toppled their longtime foe at the Daskalakis Athletic Center for the first time since 2010. Drexel led by as many as 18 in the second half before holding off a furious late rally by the Blue Hens.

The Dragons (12-7, 6-2) moved into sole possession of second place in the Colonial Athletic Association with the win and Hofstra's one-point loss at William & Mary. The win improved the Dragons to 7-1 at the DAC this season. In addition to Pearson and Curran, Drexel got eight points from Kelsi Lidge and six each from Jamila Thompson, Carrie Alexander and Alexis Smith. Jackie Schluth chipped in four, along with two steals. Delaware (8-11, 3-5) was led by 22 points from Erika Brown.

Sunday's game marked one of the best rebounding performances of the season for Drexel, which outrebounded the Hens 39-22. It was the Dragons' largest rebounding margin of the season. Drexel, which came into league play at the bottom of the CAA in rebounding and rebounding margin now has pulled down more boards than its opponent in three of the last four games. Curran's seven boards paced Drexel, with Pearson and Alexis Smith each pulling down six.

After Delaware scored the game's first points, Drexel responded with a Pearson three-pointer. The teams then traded buckets, with Jamila Thompson's mid-range jumper putting Drexel up 5-4, a lead it would not relinquish. The Dragons asserted themselves on the glass early, pulling down six more rebounds than the Hens in the first half. Seven of Drexel's 20 first-half boards were of the offensive variety, helping the team extend possessions and build a 32-21 halftime lead despite shooting just 37.9 percent from the floor.

As so often is the case, the Dragons were also buoyed by their defense. After a Brown three-pointer made it a 13-9 game with 12:12 remaining before halftime, the Dragons held Delaware without a field goal for the next 5:14, building an 11-point lead after Pearson buried a three-pointer to make it 22-11. Delaware would respond with five quick points, but Drexel had the lead back up to 11 by halftime after holding the Hens scoreless for the period's final 2:54.

Delaware came out firing to start the second stanza, netting an 8-2 run in just 2:27 to slash Drexel's lead to five. The Dragons had a counterpunch, though, and had the lead back up to 11 just over three minutes later. Delaware, in fact, would not hit a field goal for a span of 8:03 after Joy Caracciolo's putback made it a five-point game.

With 9:43 remaining, Jackie Schluth fed Curran for a short jumper, inflating Drexel's lead to its largest point of the afternoon, 49-31. From there, the Blue Hens began to fight back. Thanks in part to three quick Drexel turnovers, Delaware had the Drexel lead back down to 11 with 6:04 remaining.

The Dragons continued to stand tall on the defensive end, making Delaware earn every point, but Drexel was uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball on the offensive end, committing 13 of their 16 turnovers in the second half. Seven of those came in the final 9:43, after Drexel had built its 18-point lead.

Despite the giveaways, Drexel seemed to be in solid shape with a 12-point lead and 1:56 to play. But Delaware, which has played the Dragons more than any other program over Drexel's 33-year Division I history, kept pushing. After two Delaware free throws, the Blue Hens forced a steal on the inbounds play and drew a foul, hitting one of two to make it a nine-point game. Another turnover followed, with Courtni Green racing downcourt to score and make it a 57-50 game with 1:21 remaining.

The Blue Hens were forced to foul, and Drexel suffered its only missed free throw of the game on the front end of a one-and-one. Delaware raced down and once again got a fast-break lay-up, pulling them within five with just under a minute to play. A final Drexel turnover after the inbounds turned into a Brown lay-up. She also drew a foul, giving her a chance to make it a two-point game. Her free throw rattled out, however, keeping it a three-point game.

That missed free throw seemed to settle the Dragons, who were able to bring the ball upcourt and hit their free throws to close out the game. Pearson hit two, followed by Thompson with 12 seconds remaining, making it a three-possession game. Though the Blue Hens did get another bucket with five seconds remaining, their comeback bid came up short and Drexel was able to emerge victorious.

Among the leaders in free throw shooting in the nation and at the top of the list in the CAA, the Dragons helped themselves at the line all afternoon. Drexel was 8-for-8 in the first half, and finished the day 16-for-17 from the charity stripe.

Drexel will remain at home for its next game, coming up Friday at 7:00 p.m. The Dragons will host the College of Charleston, the first meeting between those two teams this season. Last year, with the Cougars competing in their inaugural CAA season, the teams split their two meetings, with each team winning on its home court.