Drexel University
Georgia State
Hot-Shooting Panthers Push Past Drexel, 68-57
1/28/2007 4:07:14 PM | Women's Basketball
Atlanta, Ga. - Drexel shot a season-best 54 percent from the floor in the first half and gave Georgia State all it could handle as the Dragons (5-15, 0-9 CAA) trailed by just one point at halftime, 35-34. The Panthers (12-8, 4-5 CAA) needed a 57-percent shooting effort in both halves to get by the Dragons. Georgia State missed just five free-throws in the contest including making 21 of 24 in the second half to hold on for a 78-67 victory. Anora Suber dropped a career-high 15 points on the Panthers on 5-for-6 shooting from deep.
Kelcey Roegiers-Jensen led the Panthers with 22 points, half of them coming from the free-throw line, she also dished out a game-high six assists and swatted a career-high six blocks. Nicole McCombs shared Drexel's scoring lead with Anora Suber and also pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.
Drexel jumped out to an 8-3 lead in the opening minutes of the game. Georgia State pulled ahead briefly midway though the period and stretched the lead to five points on a layup by Kelcey Roegiers-Jensen to make it 22-17, but Drexel surged back and reclaimed he lead on a driving layup by Andrea Peterson with 7:30 on the clock. From there the Dragons held onto their advantage until the three-minute mark. Anora Suber shot a perfect 3-for-3 in the period to lead the Dragons to 60-percent shooting from behind the three-point line in the half.
Georgia State pulled ahead to an eight-point lead in the second half when the Dragons missed six of their first eight shots and the Panthers capitalized by making three straight buckets to make it a 45-37 game just over five minutes into the second stanza. The Panthers pushed their lead to nine points midway through the second half. Kelly Golden, who made her first career start in the game, keyed a 7-2 Drexel run capped by Anora Suber's fifth three-pointer of the day to make it a three-point game at 59-56. On Georgia State's next possession Roegiers-Jensen drew a foul on a three-point attempt and converted all three free throws to put her team back in control for the duration of the game.
Anora Suber led a Drexel bench that contributed 24 points to the Dragons' cause. While the Dragons defended well enough to shut down Georgia State from the perimeter in the second half, the Panthers found their offense inside as forwards Marcquitta Head and Vatai Smith combined to score 15 points in the post. Despite Georgia State's ability to score inside, Drexel still managed to out-duel the Panthers on the boards, 31-23.
The Dragons fought to the bitter end, however, as Alison Lupariello entered the game at the 1:43 mark and promptly knocked down a long three-pointer from outside to make it 68-61 with a minute and a half remaining. Drexel held the Panthers without a field goal for the final 3:37 of the game, but Georgia State, which came into the game shooting just 65 percent from the line, converted eight of nine free throws down the stretch and shot an uncharacteristically high 81 percent in the game.
Drexel is back in action on Thursday at William & Mary in a reprise of the Dragons' tough 48-43 loss to the Tribe on Jan. 4, which started the team's current eight-game skid.
