Massenat and Givens Lead Dragons Past Rider, 80-62

Tuesday, November 15

Lawrenceville, N.J.

6:00 a.m.

Drexel University

Rider

Massenat and Givens Lead Dragons Past Rider, 80-62

11/15/2011 8:11:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Lawrenceville, N.J. - Samme Givens and Frantz Massenat each scored 21 points as Drexel opened the year with an 80-62 win at Rider. The game tipped off at 6 a.m. as part of ESPN's Tip-Off Marathon. The Dragons were tied at half, but opened the second half with a 9-1 run and did not trail the rest of the way.

Givens scored 13 of his 21 points in the second half. He scored seven straight points at one point as the Dragons extended their lead to eight points. The Broncs trimmed the lead down to three points at 43-40 when Brandon Penn scored on a put-back. However, the Dragons answered with an 18-0 run. Six differerent players scored during the run, which was capped by a Dartaye Ruffin lay-in. Drexel shot 60 percent in the second half. Massenat had a huge second half for the Dragons. The sophomore, who was playing in front of his hometown fans and his high school teammates, scored 17 of his 21 points in the final 20 minutes. He finished shooting 7-for-10 from the field.

Both teams got off to slow starts on the offensive end. The game went back and forth before the Broncs scored 10 straight to take a 26-18 lead with 4:11 remaining in the opening half. That lead was short lived as the Dragons rallied to tie the game before intermission with a 10-2 run. Givens scored on a lay-up and after a missed shot by the Broncs, Massenat set up Kazembe Abif for a dunk, cutting the lead to two. Drexel finally got the score even with 7.1 seconds left when Derrick Thomas sank a pair of free throws.

Freshman Damion Lee had a memorable debut. The rookie from Baltimore scored 14 points and came within one rebound of a double-double with nine boards. He also had five assists. Abif, who was pressed into action early as the Drexel big men were in foul trouble, scored seven points, four rebounds and two blocks. Thomas scored nine points and Dartaye Ruffin added eight points on 4-for-4 shooting.

Drexel's defense held the Broncs to just 36 percent shooting and Rider was just 3-for-18 from long range. The Dragons also outrebounded the Broncs, 45-34.

The Dragons are back in action on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. They play Norfolk State in the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas. Drexel will play three games in the U.S. Virgin Islands before heading back home for Thanksgiving break.