Drexel University
Towson
Towson Thwarts Drexel Comeback For 65-57 Win
1/25/2007 9:47:04 PM | Women's Basketball
Philadelphia, Pa. – Drexel (5-14, 0-8 CAA) rallied from a 13-point deficit and tied the game with four minutes remaining on a Gabriela Marginean layup. But the Dragons couldn't muster the momentum to pull ahead and Towson (13-5, 4-4 CAA) made its free-throws down the stretch to hold on for a 65-57 victory.
Marginean, who had a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double, brought the Dragons back from a 13 point deficit when she got her own board after missing the second of two free throws with four minutes remaining in the game. Marginean pulled the ball out then drove the lane for a layup that tied the game at 50-50 and capped a 9-1 Drexel run. But the Dragons, who shot just 29 percent in the second half, could not come up with a go-ahead bucket. Towson sealed the victory when an intentional foul call gave the Tigers two free throws, which they converted for a seven-point lead, and the ball with 46 seconds remaining. From there Towson held on for a 65-57 victory.
Narissa Suber added 16 points on 4-for-8 shooting from deep. She needs just 26 more to reach the 1,000-point plateau for her career. Shanae Baker-Brice led the Tigers with 21 points, including shooting 10-for-13 from the foul line. Jamell Beasley came off the bench to score 17 points on 5-for-7 shooting and a perfect 6-for-6 performance from the line. Towson shot a sizzling 61 percent in the first half and ended the game shooting 59 percent from the floor overall.
Towson leapt out to an 8-0 lead in the first minute and a half after causing turnovers on four straight possessions, prompting a quick timeout by Head Coach Denise Dillon and a wholesale lineup change for the Dragons. Walk-on sophomore guard Kelly Golden gave Drexel its first points of the night on a long jumper just under three minutes into the game. Towson would mount a 17-4 lead, but Dillon's strategy eventually paid off as the intensity of the subs keyed a 17-7 run midway through the period which drew the Dragons to within one point, 28-27, with three minutes in the half. Narissa Suber knotted the game at 30-30 with a three from the wing with 30 seconds, but freshman phenom Shanae Baker-Brice hit a layup in the final seconds of the period to put Towson on top 32-30 at the break.
Towson opened the second half with and 8-4 run to pull ahead by eight points. Drexel held the Tigers without a field goal for just over seven minutes in the second half but only managed to narrow the margin to 42-41 midway through the period due to woeful 29 percent shooting from the floor. Towson would reclaim an eight point lead with 6:10 remaining before Drexel rolled out its 9-1 game-tying run. Two turnovers in the final four minutes combined with sufficient foul shooting from the Tigers and the intentional foul call, proved to be Drexel's undoing in the loss.
Kelly Golden, Jennifer Stjarnstrom and Stacy McCullough all saw career-high minutes while helping to ignite the Dragons' rally. Golden scored a season-best five points to go with three rebounds, a steal and an assist in 31 minutes of play. Stjarnstrom snared a season-high six rebounds to go with four poins and a team-leading four steals.
The Dragons head to warmer climes this weekend, traveling to play Georgia State on Sunday, Jan. 28 at 2:00 p.m.
