Drexel University
Old Dominion
Dragons Three-Game Win Streak Snapped By No. 10 Old Dominion, 66-51
2/24/2008 4:01:41 PM | Women's Basketball
Norfolk, Va. - After falling behind 20-4 to start the game Drexel fought back in the second half, twice cutting Old Dominion's one-time commanding lead to just five points. But key baskets by the nationally ranked Lady Monarchs kept the Dragons just out of reach of their fourth straight conference win. Gabriela Marginean led all scorers with 20 points, falling just five short of her 1,000th career point. Narissa Suber became just the third player in CAA history to make 300 career three-pointers when she knocked down a trey four minutes and 10 seconds into the second half. Drexel falls to 15-11 overall and 10-5 in conference. Old Dominion preserves its pristine 15-0 CAA record and improves to 24-3 overall with the win.
Coming off one of their best defensive performances of the season, Drexel limited Old Dominion to 29 first- half points. Despite falling behind by 16 early, Drexel outscored the Lady Monarchs 19-9 over the next 12 minutes to fight their way back into the game, making it 29-23 by the first media timeout of the second half. Drexel served the Monarchs early notice by holding them scoreless through the first 3:31 of the period.
A deep three-pointer by Jazzmin Walters spurred a 9-0 Old Dominion run that put the Lady Monarchs on top 46-32 midway through the second half. Suber set the tone for the tireless Dragons by faking a cut to the three-point line then diving to the basket for a back-door layup. The bucket ignited a 9-0 Drexel run capped by a Nicole Hester three-pointer at the 7:20 mark that made it a 46-41 game. But that would be the last basket for the Dragons until a break-away layup by Jasmina Rosseel in the final minute.
Old Dominion went on a 20-6 run to make it a 66-47 game with 2:20 left. Rosseel's steal and layup with 44 seconds on the clock exemplefied the Dragons' performace on the day, coming back when the Lady Monarchs looked to have another easy win in hand.
Drexel was outrebounded 40-29 overall and 16-6 on the offensive glass. In addition, Lady Monarchs were able to work the Dragons over for 39 points in the paint to just 18 by the Dragons. Old Dominion missed just two of its 17 free-throw attempts on the game, despite shooting just over 62 percent from the stripe on the season. Marginean went 6-for-6 from the line, improving her CAA-leading free-throw percentage to 91.8. She has made her last 22 from the charity stripe.
Tiffany Green, Megan Pym and T.J. Jordan all scored in double-figures for Old Dominion. Pym swiped a game high seven steals for the Monarchs who forced 20 Drexel turnovers. Shahida Williams led the Monarchs with eight rebounds, five of them on the offensive glass.
Nicole Hester kept the Dragons in the game after their slow start, stealing the ball on the win and hitting a three-pointer on the other end to key a 7-2 Drexel run that made it a 27-19 game with a minute and a half remaining in the half after a pair of Marginean free-throws. A foul called on a scramble for a loose ball gave Megan Pym two free throws to make it 29-19 at the half.
Drexel remained in the game despite shooting 30 percent from the floor, 1-for-7 from deep and committing 12 turnovers. Old Dominion also out-boarded the Dragons 22-15. Marginean scored 10 of the Dragons' 19 points on 4-for-5 shooting.
Hester finished the game with eight points and a team-leading five assists and four steals. Jasmina Rosseel came off the bench to score eight points and figure prominently in the Dragons' second-half run.
The Dragons return home next week for a two-game homestand against Towson and George Mason. The loss puts Drexel back into a tie for third place in the CAA with VCU who defeated Hofstra today to improve to 10-5 in CAA play.
