Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
William & Mary
Three Pointers Send Tribe Past Drexel in Overtime, 73-72
1/23/2008 9:51:17 PM | Men's Basketball
Philadelphia, Pa. – William & Mary made 14 three-pointers, including both of its attempts in overtime, and defeated Drexel, 73-72. It was the first time that the Tribe (10-8, 6-2) defeated Drexel (9-11, 2-6) in the Daskalakis Athletic Center.
The Tribe jumped out to a five-point lead in overtime before Drexel started its run that fell just short. Scott Rodgers (Philadelphia, Pa./Central) made a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 71-68. After each team had a scoreless possession, Drexel's Tramayne Hawthorne (Steelton, Pa./Steelton-Highspire) came up with a steal and was fouled. He sank both to make it a one-point lead. William & Mary answered when Danny Sumner scored on a lay-up with just 1:14 to play. With less than a minute to play Hawthorne picked up his sixth steal of the game. There was a scramble underneath the Tribe's basket and Rodgers emerged with the ball and scored in traffic to make it 73-72. William & Mary then turned the ball over to give Drexel one last chance with nine seconds left. The Dragons got the ball in bounds and used their final timeout to set up a play. The ball went in to Hawthorne with four seconds left and his long three-pointer went off the rim and the Tribe went back home with a win.
Drexel forced the overtime when Rodgers nailed a jump shot with 20 seconds left in regulation. William & Mary came down with a chance to win, but Hawthorne wouldn't let Nathan Mann get a good look at the basket and his three-pointer from the corner came up well short at the buzzer. That was one of the few shots Mann would miss. He was 6-for-9 from behind the arc and finished with 18 points. The Tribe made 14 of its 26 three-point attempts (.538) in the game. Laimis Kisielius led the team with 20 points.
William & Mary opened the game by making seven of its first 10 shots including six three-pointers. The Tribe led by as many as nine points in the first half before Drexel tied it up right before the half.
Frank Elegar (Bronx, N.Y./St. Raymond's) once again led Drexel with game-highs of 24 points and 15 rebounds. The senior was 8-for-12 from the floor and 8-for-10 from the line. It was his eighth double-double of the season and his fifth in the last seven games. Elegar also had four steals and a pair of blocks. Rodgers added 16 points and made some key free throws. He finished 7-for-8 from the line, while Randy Oveneke (Antwerpen, Belgium/Saint-Anna College) was also in double figures with 11 points. Drexel forced 26 Tribe turnovers but could not overcome the Tribe's long-range shooting.
The Dragons begin a two-game road trip on Saturday at CAA leader Virginia Commonwealth. The game can be seen live on CN8 at 6 p.m.
