Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
Georgia State
Suber Shoots Dragons Past Georgia State in Regular-Season Finale
3/6/2008 7:56:02 PM | Women's Basketball
Atlanta, Ga. – Drexel got off to a quick start in the first half, hitting its first six shots to take an 11-0 lead. The Dragons never looked back in their 63-48 victory over Georgia State (8-21, 5-13) to wrap up the 2007-08 regular season. Narissa Suber led all scorers with 24 points, including a season-high-tying six three-pointers to close out her regular-season career at Drexel. Gabriela Marginean hit the 20-point mark for a fourth straight game, putting in 23 points, 14 of which came in the first half. The victory secures at a bye for the Dragons in the CAA Tournament next weekend and gives the team its best record ever in CAA play.
The Dragons led by as many as 23 points in the second half and weathered a span of nearly five minutes with Marginean on the bench in foul trouble. Suber took her place in the scoring department, knocking down a pair of free-throws and a pair of three-pointers to give the Dragons a 50-27 lead at the 15:48 mark in the period.
Marginean reentered the game at the 11:56 mark with the Dragons on top 52-31 after a spinning jumper by Rosseel. Suber knocked down her season-high tying sixth three-pointer of the game at the 6:38 mark, giving Drexel a 57-35 lead.
Georgia State would embark on a 11-2 run following Suber's three-pointer to make it a 13-point Drexel lead, 59-46, with 2:33 in the game. But the effort was too late in the contest as Drexel closed out the game with four free-throws by Marginean and a driving layup by Rosseel for her 12th point of the game.
Drexel jumped out to a 14-2 lead in the early going of the game, as the team made all of its first six shot attempts to start the game. The Dragons played tough defense in the post and on the perimeter, deflecting passes and fronting Georgia State's forwards to keep the Panthers out of rhythm and off the scoreboard for the first 4:09 of the contest.
The Panthers' trapping full-court defense largely backfired in the first half as the savvy Dragons worked the ball down court for transition baskets, led by Marginean's 7-for-10 shooting in the half, most of which came in transition opportunities.
Rosseel thrived in the fast-paced half as well. After turning the ball over on the Dragons' side of the court, she atoned by picking off a pass in the lane on defense and beating two Panthers down the floor for a layup that gave Drexel a 16-5 lead. The Dragons closed out the period shooting 55.6 percent and 5-for-11 from deep to take a 35-20 lead into the locker room.
The Dragons shot 49 percent from the field and held Georgia State to an icy 28.2 percent shooting performance in the game. Suber, Marginean and Rosseel combined to score all but for of Drexel's 63 points. Rosseel also handed out a career-high five assists and pulled down a career-high-tying seven rebounds.
With the win, Drexel secures the No. 4 seed in the CAA Women's Basketball Tournament in Newark, Del. next weekend. Drexel will play the winner of the opening-round game between Towson and Hofstra. The Dragons 18-11 regular-season mark is its best record since 2004-05 and the team's 13-5 mark in conference is the team's best record ever in CAA play.
