Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
William & Mary
Dragons Hold Off William & Mary, 61-56
2/23/2006 12:00:00 AM
In the second half, Drexel maintained the lead, but William & Mary closed the cushion to just two points with 4:16 left on a pair of Corey Cofield free throws. Drexel answered with a 7-0 run over the next three minutes to extend its lead to 57-48. Bashir Mason (Jersey City, N.J./St. Benedict's Prep) swiped two of his career-high seven steals in the run. Dominick Mejia (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern) hit his fourth three-pointer of the game during that stretch. The Dragons made six of their next eight free throws to secure the win.
Drexel led at the half, 26-21, after forcing 14 turnovers. The Tribe shot just 5-for-13 from the line and shot less than 39 percent from the floor in the first half. The Dragons had offensive problems of their own as Drexel's starters shot just 3-for-22 from the floor in the opening stanza. Frank Elegar (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond's) came off the bench to spark the Dragons by scoring 11 points and pulling down eight rebounds, including six on the offensive end. Elegar finished 7-for-8 from the field and had a team-high 17 points. Mejia added 16 points, but shot just 5-for-15 from the floor. Nathan Mann led the Tribe with 12 points while Corey Cofield scored 11 points, all in the second half. Cofield eclipsed the 1,000 career-point mark with a field goal at 13:37 of the second half.
Kenell Sanchez (Camden, N.J./Bishop Eustace) and Timmy Tillman (Philadelphia, Pa./Virginia Episcopal) were honored before the game as part of the Senior Day festivities. Sanchez tied a career-high with seven assists in his final home game.
Drexel finishes its regular season on Saturday, Feb. 25 with a trip to Hempstead, N.Y. to take on Hofstra. Game time is 4 p.m.
