Marginean Pours in 47 Points in Drexel's NCAA-Record Five Overtime Victory

Thursday, February 22

Daskalakis Athletic Center

7:00

Drexel University

Northeastern

Marginean scored a single-game record 47 points

Marginean Pours in 47 Points in Drexel's NCAA-Record Five Overtime Victory

2/24/2007 1:36:01 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Play-by-Play

Philadelpha, Pa. - A game that looked like a blowout in the first half turned into the longest game in NCAA women's basketball history as Drexel needed five overtime periods to outlast the Northeastern Huskies 98-90. Freshman Gabriela Marginean scored a Drexel (8-19, 3-13 CAA) single-game record 47 points including 20 during four of the overtime periods before fouling out in the fourth extra frame. She also matched Drexel's single-game record with 22 rebounds. Shaleyse Smallwood scored a career-high 37 points for the Huskies (4-23, 3-13 CAA) and she was single-handedly responsible for tying the game on six different occasions down the stretch.

After brushing with both victory and defeat in five minute intervals, Drexel was finally able to pull ahead in at the tap of the fifth overtime. Delise Johnson knocked the tip-off to Narissa Suber who strolled in for an unabated layup to give Drexel an 87-85 lead. Northeastern tied the game on a pair of free throws by Ashlee Feldman. Drexel pulled back ahead when Narissa Suber snuck a pass across to Johnson who went up for the shot and got fouled. She converted both free-throws to put Drexel on top for good. Narissa Suber gave the Dragons some breathing room when she dribbled to the left off a screen and knocked down a three-pointer with 2:56 on the clock to give Drexel a five-point lead. A half a minute later after a Northeastern turnover, Suber nailed a three-pointer from the same spot on the floor to seal the game for the Dragons with a 95-87 lead.

Northeastern threatened a fifth comeback when Ashlee Feldman hit a long three-pointer at the 2:13 mark in the fifth overtime. But Johnson put the Dragons back in control when she corralled an offensive rebound in the final minute. Andrea Peterson converted 3-of-4 free throws to put an end to a 65-minute affair that was the longest game in NCAA women's basketball history.

Drexel finished the game shooting 47.9 percent and outrebounded Northeastern 50-36. Northeastern shot 37.9 percent from the floor, but knocked down 29-of-35 shots from the free-throw line for 82.9 percent. Andrea Peterson matched her career high with 16 points in the game and led the team with four assists. Marginean also set Drexel single-game records with 16 field goals and 25 attempts.
The game eclipsed Drexel's previous longest game, a triple-overtime classic at UNC Wilmington on Jan. 9, 2005, and bested 11 other NCAA contests which held the previous record by going into four overtimes.

After watching what had been a 16-point first half lead evaporate on a 25-11 run by the Huskies in the second half. Shaleyse Smallwood tied the game at 50-50 with a free throw with just under three minutes remaining. This would be a harbinger of things to come as the game would be tied 15 more times before its resolution and Smallwood would be responsible for seven of those ties.

The game's high scorer, Marginean, had a chance to end it in regulation with a pair of free throws with 31.8 seconds remaining. Marginean, who would go on to score 20 points in four of the extra periods before fouling out, missed the first free throw and made the second which knotted the score at 55-55. The game would remain at a stalemate for the final half a minute and embark on a historic journey through five overtimes.

In the first overtime Marginean scored five of the Dragons' seven points including a three-point play that put Drexel on top 62-60 with 1:34 remaining. Smallwood drove down the right side of the lane and hit a layup in the lane to tie the game with 29 seconds left. Drexel got the ball back with 6.7 seconds and set up a final play. The Dragons ran a play for Marginean that had worked multiple times before in the game. But this time Northeastern countered with a double team in the lane. Marginean kicked the ball back to Narissa Suber who took a dribble in and hoisted up a jumper from the free-throw line. The ball bounced off the back rim and out sending the game to a second overtime.

Marginean proved her mettle again in the second overtime when she erased a two-point Northeastern lead with a pair of free throws. She answered the call again with 27 seconds left after a jumper by Kendra Walton put the Huskies ahead 72-70. Marginean spun into the lane and pulled up for a jumper that leveled the score again and forced the third extra period.

Marginean did her best to end the affair in the third overtime. She sprinted down two long offensive rebounds on Drexel's first possession and finally capitalized with a layup that matched Drexel's individual single-game scoring record. On the next trip down she drew the defense and dished out a pass to Peterson who knocked down the short jumper to give the Dragons a four-point lead. Marginean maintained the lead with another driving layup on the right side to make it a 78-74. Smallwood answered Marginean's challenge with a jumper and a layup on two straight possessions to tie the game. On the Dragons' next possession the Huskies blocked a shot by Marginean but as the ball rolled to the baseline Johnson and Marginean both dove on it and were able to call a timeout before the Huskies could tie it up for a jump ball. Marginean drew a foul off the inbounds play and knocked down both free throws to tie the game at 80-80 with 11.2 seconds. But Smallwood again snuck her way through the lane for a game-tying layup, the sixth time she'd tied the game on the evening. Drexel set up a play from the sideline with 5.3 seconds remaining and after a scramble in the lane drew a foul with nine tenths of a second remaining and a chance to win the game. But Johnson missed both and the game moved into a record-tying fourth overtime.

The game appeared to take a turn in Drexel's favor in the fourth extra stanza when Marginean converted another three-point play and Johnson hit a layup to put Drexel ahead by five point at 85-80 with 1:10 left in the period. But, like clockwork, Smalwood hit a jumper in the lane and made two free-throws with 4.3 seconds left to tie the game. Marginean tried to rush the ball up court for the Dragons but a Northeastern defender shuffled in front of her and drew an offensive foul which was her fifth and put the game's high scorer on the bench as the contested entered a record-breaking fifth overtime.

Team-leader Narissa Suber, who had shot a chilly 3-for-16 from the field through the first four periods of play, stepped it up in the fifth overtime, shooting 3-for-3 and scoring eight of the Dragons' 13 points in the period.

The Dragons will rest up for their next contest, at Delaware on Feb. 25 at 1:00 p.m. where the team will attempt to snap a 17-game losing streak to the Blue Hens.