Defense Keeps Up as Women's Basketball Downs Northeastern, 66-39

Thursday, January 19

Daskalakis Athletic Center

7:00 p.m.

Drexel University

Northeastern

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Defense Keeps Up as Women's Basketball Downs Northeastern, 66-39

1/19/2012 9:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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PHILADELPHIA - The Drexel women's basketball team earned its fourth-consecutive victory on Thursday night, defeating Northeastern 66-39. Four Dragons reached double figures, led by Kamile Nacickaite and Tyler Hale with 14 apiece, but as has been the case throughout this winning streak, it was the defense that carried the day for the Dragons. Northeastern shot just 29.4 percent from the floor (15-for-51) and 27.3 percent from long range (6-for-22) as Drexel overcame a slow offensive start to take control of the game.

Drexel (9-7, 5-1) has held opponents under 40 points in three of its four wins during their current streak. No team has scored more than 43 in that time. Northeastern fell to 3-14 with the loss, 1-5 in the Colonial Athletic Association.

The game got off to a slow start, with Northeastern leading 5-2 more than six minutes into the contest. After going up 7-4 on a Jewel Tunstull lay-up with 12:46 to play, Nacickaite buried a three to even the score. The score seesawed back and forth for the next few minutes, but a jumped by Taylor Wootton and another three from Nacickaite gave Drexel a 20-16 lead with 5:41 to play in the first half that they would not relinquish.

Wootton, who finished with 10 points and four rebounds, was cited by head coach Denise Dillon as a critical factor in the defense, particularly shutting down Tunstull, who came in averaging 12.4 points per game and finished with just five. Deanna Kerkhof and Jamie Conroy scored 12 each to lead the Huskies.

After leading 33-20 at the half, Drexel maintained a double-digit lead throughout the second half. It appeared that the Huskies might try to claw their way back into the game midway through the period when Tunstull converted a three-point play and Kerkhof added a lay-up to cut the score to 41-29. Before the Huskies could get any more momentum, however, the Dragons executed a nifty combo from Hollie Mershon to Hale to Fiona Flanagan for three on the left wing. Moments later, Hale drove to the hoop for two, and the brief five-point Northeastern run was erased.

Hale, who has started every game this year, played her 100th career game on Thursday. Her 14 points tied a season high. She added a season-best five assists. Mershon finished with 13 points, adding a team-best six rebounds and four steals.

Drexel will return to the court on Sunday for what figures to be their biggest test of the season. They will travel to Delaware to take on the first-place Blue Hens, who are currently ranked 16th in the Associated Press poll. Tip off is set for 3:30 p.m. It will air on Comcast SportsNet-Mid Atlantic, as well as The Comcast Network-Philadelphia. Fans who cannot get to a television can follow the action on DrexelDragons.com with Ari Bluestein calling the game.