Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
American University
Drexel Earns 75-52 Win Over American at the Palestra
12/31/2007 5:56:29 PM | Women's Basketball
Philadelphia – Drexel women's basketball closed out 2007 with an emphatic 75-52 win over American (6-8) to tip-off the Dragons' New Year's Eve doubleheader at the Palestra. Narissa Suber turned in another virtuoso performance from beyond the three-point stripe, knocking down 6-of-10 for a team-high 18 points. She led three Dragons (4-6) in double figures and also snared a career-high seven rebounds and three steals. The game, which was televised regionally on CN8, will be followed by the Drexel men's team's matchup with Saint Joseph's.
The Dragons pulled away in the first half with a 15-4 run led by reserve forward Brooke Cornish who scored six of her career-high eight points in a span of three minutes. Nicole Hester figured prominently in the first-half scoring spree that saw the Dragons open up a 20-point lead just before the break and head into the locker room with a 45-25 advantage. Hester turned in her best all-around game of the season with 15 points, five assists, three rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Suber knocked down five of her nine attempts from long range in the first half and the team shot a sizzling 54.8 percent.
Gabriela Marginean picked up where Suber left off in the second period, putting in 10 of her 16 points in the period to keep Drexel in command. Suber stepped up her game on defense as American adjusted to take away her looks from the perimeter. She broke up a pair of fast-break opportunities by the Eagles early in the period when the Dragons were in a scoring drought, and poached all three of her steals in the second stanza.
Playing without starting point guard Jasmina Rosseel, who missed the game due to illness, the Dragons did a good job taking care of the basketball. Alison Lupariello distributed a career-high six assists with just one turnover while the Dragons as a team dished out 23 assists with just 13 turnovers. Drexel's defense forced the Eagles into 20 giveaways in the game and converted them into 21 points on the other end of the court.
American cut Drexel's lead to 11 points early in the second half, with a 5-0 spurt, but senior Stacy McCullough settled her team with a spot-up three-pointer from the left wing and the Dragons quickly pushed their advantage to 19 points on a triple by Lupariello and never let the Eagles get back into the game.
The Dragons' 75 points is their biggest offensive output this season and the 23 point win was the team's largest margin of victory since March 2, 2006 when the team closed out William & Mary 66-44. Drexel will close out its non-conference slate against Mount St. Mary's on Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008 in a 7:00 p.m. tip at the DAC.
