Women's Basketball Holds Off La Salle, 56-53

Saturday, November 17

Philadelphia, Pa.

1:00 p.m.

Drexel University

La Salle

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

11/17/2012 2:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – The Drexel women's basketball team got a balanced mix of veteran leadership and freshmen spark on Saturday afternoon as they needed every bit of it to hold off La Salle and hold off the Explorers, 56-53. Nicki Jones put together her first double-double as a member of the Dragons, scoring 12 points and pulling down 10 rebounds in addition to four steals. Hollie Mershon led the team with 20 points, while freshmen Meghan Creighton and Rachel Pearson added seven and six, respectively.

The win was the eighth-straight in true road games for the Dragons (2-1) dating back to January 26. They have now won three straight against their city rival La Salle, although this was by far the closest of the three.

Drexel trailed 26-20 at the half, but the deficit would have been more formidable if not for a late flurry including a three-pointer by Rachel Pearson and a long jumper by Meghan Creighton in addition to a fadeaway jumper by Nicki Jones. After the Dragons did not score for nearly eight minutes, Pearson's three-pointer, her first collegiate points, cut a 19-13 La Salle lead in half.

Jones, who had five points and three steals in the first few minutes of action as Drexel took an early 11-5 lead, played outstanding defense throughout, pulling down seven defensive boards and putting together her second-straight double-digit rebound effort.

Out of the break, the freshman tandem knocked down the first five points, a Pearson three-pointer and a Creighton drive and finish, to cut the deficit to just one. After a La Salle bucket put the Explorers back up by three, Creighton nailed a three to tie the score at 28.

Drexel would regain the lead with 12:56 to play. After having gotten a driving lay-in to cut a four-point La Salle lead in half, Hollie Mershon stepped into a three-pointer from the top of the key, putting the Dragons on top 33-32.

The Explorers did not go away, however. The lead changed hands four more times over the next seven minutes, with the Dragons finally taking a lead they would not relinquish when Mershon once again hit a three to put them up 45-44 with 5:13 to play. Fiona Flanagan followed with a three-pointer of her own.

La Salle did not go quietly. With just under three minutes to go, the Explorers tied things up once more at 48. With the ball and a chance to take the lead, La Salle threw away an inbounds pass, which Renee Johnson-Allen cleaned up and went coast to coast for the bucket. Another Johnson-Allen steal on the subsequent possession led to two Mershon free throws, making it 52-48 with 1:42 remaining.

A late three-pointer by the Explorers cut a 56-50 Drexel lead in half, and they would have a contested look at a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have tied the game. Shanel Harrison's shot fell short, however, and the Dragons could breathe a sigh of relief as they got back in the win column.

Drexel will be back on the court next at the Long Island Classic at LIU in Brooklyn this weekend. The Dragons will travel to New York on Thanksgiving Day and will take on UMKC on Friday before facing either Long Island or Colgate on Saturday.