Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
American
Drexel Fends Off American, 61-58, For Second Straight Victory
12/30/2006 4:14:58 PM | Women's Basketball
Washington, D.C. - With 54 seconds in the game and Drexel clinging to a precarious 56-54 lead over American, Gabriela Marginean snared an offensive rebound off a missed jumper by Narissa Suber and went back up with a shot to draw a foul. The freshman forward converted both free throws to give Drexel some breathing room. Seconds later she would collect a defensive board and convert two more free throws to give Drexel (5-7, 0-1 CAA) a 61-58 victory over American (5-9).
Anora and Narissa Suber combined for 26 points on seven three-pointers. Marginean lead the team with 15 points and nine rebounds. Anora Suber's 12 points tied a career high, nine of them came in the second half when she shot 3-for-5 from beyond the three-point arc.
Drexel shot a season-best 47 percent from the floor and 42 percent from deep, bolstered by a fast start in the first half. The Dragons pulled away to an 21-6 lead to open the game. A combination of consistent shooting and hustle on the defensive end staked the Dragons to a 15-point advantage, the largest lead they've held over a team all season. When Alison Lupariello's three-point heave at the shot clock buzzer splashed the net with 7:06 in the half, it seemed as if the Dragons could not miss a shot.
But the 26-13 lead generated by Lupariello's trey soon dissipated as American embarked on a 15-4 run led by reserve forward Abby Lipskis, who came off the bench to score 14 points on 7-for-9 shooting. The Eagles clawed their way back into the game and trailed by just two points at the half, 30-28.
After Drexel began to pull away in the second half, taking a seven point lead at the 14:24 mark, the game turned in American's favor when freshman Nicole McCombs picked up an offensive foul and got a technical for slamming the ball in frustration. Liz Hayes converted both free throws and after a pair of Drexel turnovers, the Eagles closed the Dragons' lead to one point at the 12:45 mark.
Anora Suber steadied the reeling Dragons by drilling the first of her three second-half three-pointers from the wing. American would pull ahead briefly, 51-50, with 7:35 in the game, but Suber's third three of the half put Drexel back on top by two points. The Dragons would hold on for the win thanks to big rebounds by Marginean and timely free-throw shooting.
Liz Hayes, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Week, led American with 19 points. Lipskis finished with a career-high tying 16 points for the Eagles, but she was held to just two points in the second half while being shackled with foul trouble.
The victory closes out Drexel's non-conference schedule and sends the Dragons into CAA play with the momentum of two straight victories. Drexel returns to the DAC to take on William & Mary on Thursday, Jan. 4 at 7:00 p.m.
