Dragons Ground American Eagles 50-40

Wednesday, December 2

Daskalakis Athletic Center

7:00

Drexel University

American

Tyler Hale scored a career-high 10 points in the win

12/2/2009 9:09:04 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

Philadelphia - Gabriela Marginean scored 26 of her team's 50 points as the Dragons (3-2) ground out a close victory over American 50-40 at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. Sophomore forward Tyler Hale had an excellent all-around game, scoring a career-high 10 points to go with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. American (3-4) was led in scoring by Michelle Kirk, who had 13 points.

In a contest in which neither team seemed to find its offensive flow or shooting touch, Drexel grabbed what little momentum it could muster at the 7:57 mark in the second half when Hollie Mershon found Jasmina Rosseel open in the far corner for a three-pointer that put Drexel ahead 38-34. From that point in the contest Drexel outscored American 12-6, despite not hitting another shot from the floor. Marginean, Mershon and Marisa Crane combined to go 12-for-12 from the free-throw stripe to give their team its third win of the season.

Drexel shot just 32.6 percent from the floor, but the Dragons' excellent defense pestered American into 28.8 percent shooting, including going 7-for-26 from the field in the second half. Despite the lackluster offensive showing, the Dragons turned in their best defensive performance since holding rival Delaware to 40 points on Jan. 4 of last season.

Marginean scored Drexel's first nine points of the contest by going 2-for-2 from the floor and 5-for-5 from the free-throw line in the opening minutes. She would finish with 13 of Drexel's 17 points at the break as the Dragons went into the locker room trailing 21-17. Marginean finished the contest shooting 11-for-12 at the charity stripe, which is the most attempts and makes she's had from the line this season.

The victory was Drexel's first of the come-from-behind variety after trailing at halftime. American led by as much as six points in the second half, pulling out to a 23-17 lead early in the period. But a 14-6 Drexel spurt, capped by a Hale layup, put Drexel back on top 31-29 just over eight minutes into the half.

American did well to neutralize Drexel's three-point shooting for the majority of the game -the Dragons finished 3-for-18 from deep- but Rosseel's rainbow from the baseline with just under eight minutes left set up Drexel's final push for the win.

The victory was Head Coach Denise Dillon's 99th career coaching win. She will have the chance to go for 100 when the Dragons host the La Salle Explorers at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 5 in the front end of a doubleheader with the men's team. The men will host Northeastern at 4:00 p.m. in a televised contest.