Drexel University Athletics
Drexel University
James Madison
Women's Basketball Opens Three-Game Virginia Odyssey at James Madison
1/12/2011 6:00:46 PM | Women's Basketball
Live Stats Game Notes
Harrisonburg, Va. - Drexel beings a run of three straight road games in Virginia with a showdown at James Madison on Thursday. The contest, which is a match up of the last two CAA Champions, will be played at 6:00 p.m. as part of a men's and women's basketball doubleheader at the JMU Convocation Center. While the game was originally scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. tip, travel conditions have moved the James Madison vs. Georgia State men's game to create the Thursday twinbill. The Dukes (9-6, 2-1) are coming off a loss at Old Dominion on Sunday, while the Dragons (10-4, 2-1) have won two straight after taking down Delaware 59-56 last weekend.
A trio of Dragons put together big shots down the stretch to help their team grind out another close victory against their regional rivals. With the Dragons trailing in the final three and a half minutes, Jasmina Rosseel drilled a pair of three-pointers and knocked down two free throws to put her team on top. Hollie Mershon came up with a big baseline jumper with 17 seconds left to put Drexel up by four. Kamile Nacickaite closed out the win with two free throws in the last 10 seconds. The victory was Drexel's seventh in the last eight meetings against Delaware and moved the Dragons in to a tie for third place in the league. Nacickaite finished with her third double-double of the season, 20 points and 10 rebounds.
The Dukes saw their four-game winning streak come to an end with a 71-55 loss at Old Dominion last week. The Lady Monarchs held James Madison to their worst shooting game of the season, 28.4 percent from the floor, and forced 18 turnovers. Dawn Evans led the team with 17 points, but they came on 6-for-26 shooting. The Dukes' two conference wins have come against William & Mary (89-75) and Northeastern (84-61). Senior Guard Dawn Evans, who is leading the league in scoring, was named a mid-season candidate for the John R. Wooden Award this week. Evans was also under consideration for the honor last year.
James Madison leads the all-time series with Drexel 9-7 and the Dukes' won the team's last meeting 73-56 in Harrisonburg last February. The Dragons have won two of the last three games against James Madison, including the 2009 CAA Championship game. That victory was the only time that Drexel has beated James Madison on its home court.
Fans can listen to the game via live audio with Pat Delsi calling all the action at Drexel Game Central on www.drexeldragons.com. Livestats are also available at www.jmusports.com.
