Givens Scores 31 as Drexel Defeats Fairfield, 77-69, for Fifth Straight Win

Wednesday, December 28

Daskalakis Athletic Center

7:30

Drexel University

Fairfield

Samme Givens scored 31 points in the Dragons win

Givens Scores 31 as Drexel Defeats Fairfield, 77-69, for Fifth Straight Win

12/28/2011 10:36:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Philadelphia – Samme Givens scored a career-high 31 points and added nine rebounds as Drexel defeated Fairfield at the Daskalakis Athletic Center, 77-69. It was the fifth straight win for the Dragons, who improved to 7-4 on the season.

The Stags (7-6) trailed by as many as 16 points with just 3:32 to play after a pair of Daryl McCoy free throws, but made a furious comeback to make it a game. Fairfield rattled off 11 straight points and made it a 70-66 game when Derek Needham sank a three-pointer with just 53 seconds to play. The Dragons iced the game when Frantz Massenat scored on a drive down the left side of the lane, and after a turnover, McCoy made two more freebies to put Drexel up, 74-66. Needham hit another three-pointer, but that was as close as the Stags would get.

Drexel trailed early in the game, 17-9, but went on an 18-0 run midway through the first half to take the lead for good. During the run, the Dragons' defense held the Stags without a point for a span of more than eight minutes and without a field goal for 8:44.

Givens, whose previous career-high was 25 points, was 13-for-16 from the floor. The senior also knocked down five of his six free throw attempts. During Drexel's five game win streak, Givens is 34-for-49 (.694) from the floor and has averaged 17.4 points per game. Massenat added 11 points and handed out five assists, while McCoy contributed a season-high eight points. The Dragons shot 53 percent from the floor, marking the third time in the last four games they made at least half their shots. Drexel once again shot well from the line, sinking 22 of its 27 attempts (.815).

Fairfield was led by Needham's 18 points. He was one of four Stags in double figures. Rakim Sanders had 17 points, while Ryan Olander added 15 points and seven boards. He snaked three three-pointers. As a team, the Stags made nine of 18 from behind the arc and shot 50 percent overall as well.

Drexel closes out 2011 with a New Year's Eve contest against St. Francis. The two teams will tip-off at noon at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. It will be the first game of a double header, as the women's team will face Princeton after the men's game.