Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
Mount St. Mary's (Md.)
Dragons Conquer Mount St. Mary's, 53-46
12/28/2006 7:07:07 PM | Women's Basketball
Emmitsburg, Md. - In just her second game as a Dragon transfer guard Andrea Peterson scored all nine of her points in the final six minutes, including a 5-for-6 shooting performance from the line, to help Drexel (4-7, 0-1 CAA) pull away for a 53-46 victory at Mount St. Mary's (3-7).
Drexel emerged victorious from a game frought with turnovers. Peterson settled the Dragons while matching up agains the 2005-06 Notheast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Tiffany Green, and a pesky Mountaineers' press, committing just two turnovers in her first start as a Dragon. Narissa Suber bounced back from a sub-standard first half to lead the team with 14 points.
A low-scoring first half saw both teams shoot below 30 percent from the field and enter the locker room with Drexel leading 17-15. The Dragons held Mount St. Mary's to its lowest half-time total of the season and just 22 percent shooting from the floor.
The Dragons opened the second stanza with a 10-4 run capped by a pair of three pointers by Anora and Narissa Suber on consecutive possessions to give Drexel a 28-20 lead. The Mount surged back with a run of its own, taking a brief 31-30 lead at the 11:37 mark in the half.
Drexel's defense stepped it up, forcing one turnover by Green which resulted in a three-pointer from Alison Lupariello on the wing. Gabriela Marginean intercepted a pass moments later and Lupariello connected on a long three from the top of the arc to put Drexel in command at 38-33.
A pair of Drexel turnovers over the next minute and a half allowed Mount St. Mary's to reclaim the lead with just under seven minutes remaining. But Nicole McCombs made a strong move in the post to get herself to the free-throw line. She knocked down both shots to take back the lead. From that point Peterson took over.
The junior transfer from St. John's found herself open in the lane on a pick-and-roll, she pulled up for a jumper which bounded high off the rim. Peterson raced in to grab the board and lay it in. On the next trip down she drove to the left side of the lane and pulled up to hit a tough-angle bank shot which gave Drexel a seven-point lead.
While the Dragons committed 21 turnovers in the contest, they also swiped a season-high 13 steals and forced the Mountaineers to commit 19 turnovers total. Drexel shot a sizzling 55.6 percent from the floor in the second half and knocked down four of the team's seven three-point attempts.
Dita Krumberga led the Mount with 23 points, she was the only Mountaineer to reach double figures in the contest. Freshman Nicole McCombs grabbed a game-high nine boards for Drexel, matching her season-high.
The Dragons head to Washington, D.C. to take on American at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30. The contest closes out Drexel's non-conference schedule before the team returns home to play William & Mary on Jan. 4, 2007.
