Dragons Comeback Against Towson Comes Up Short, 69-66

Saturday, January 5

Daskalakis Athletic Center

4:00

Drexel University

5-9, 1-1

Towson

7-8, 2-0

TOWSON

Drexel

Dragons Comeback Against Towson Comes Up Short, 69-66

1/5/2013 7:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Philadelphia, Pa. – Frantz Massenat had two shots to tie the game in the final five seconds, but each of his three-pointers just missed as Towson held on to defeat Drexel in the DAC, 69-66. The loss snapped Drexel's 17-game Colonial Athletic Association regular season win streak.

The Dragons (5-9, 1-1 CAA) dug themselves a hole in the early going and fell behind by 14 at intermission. In the first 20 minutes, Drexel committed 10 turnovers. The lead swelled to as many as 19 in the second half as the Dragons went ice cold from both the field and the free throw line. Drexel began the second half 1-for-7 from the charity stripe and, after Rafriel Guthrie converted a three-point play, the Tigers (7-8, 2-0) led 39-20 with 15:21 left in the game.

Drexel played better late in the half but it was too little, too late. Damion Lee, who was held scoreless in the first half, scored five straight points to cut the lead to 58-52 with a little more than three minutes to play. The teams went back and forth to the line in the foul-plagued game. Towson made most of its free throws in the early going, but allowed Drexel to get back in it with six missed in the last minute and a half of the game. Drexel's Derrick Thomas nailed a three-pointer to trim the lead to just three with :22 remaining. After Mike Burwell was fouled for Towson and made a pair of free throws, Massenat drove the lane and got to the line. He made both with just 14 seconds left. The Tigers' Marcus Damas was called for a travel with 11 seconds to play, giving the Dragons a chance to tie the game up. Massenat got his first shot off with just four ticks remaining on the clock. Daryl McCoy grabbed the offensive board and got the ball back out to Massenat, who let a shot off at the buzzer that hit the back of the rim. The Tigers snapped a seven-game losing skid against their long-time rivals.

Overall, Drexel shot just 59 percent from the charity stripe, including a dismal 17-for-30 in the second half, and 34 percent overall. On the other end, Towson was able to sink 27 of its 38 freebies as the teams combined for 72 free throws in the game.

Massenat led Drexel with 17 points, 15 of which came in the second half. He nailed three three-pointers but committed six turnovers. Thomas finished with 15 points. The senior had three treys, six assists and three steals. Lee finished with 14, but was held to just 3-for-11 from the floor. McCoy continued to put up big numbers on the glass. He had 11 rebounds, the third straight game in which he has had at least 10 boards.

Towson had four players in double figures and was led by Jerrelle Benimon, who had a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds. He was also forced into eight turnovers. Damas added 13 points, while Jerome Hairston and Burwell each added 12. The Tigers came in as one of the top rebounding teams in the country and outrebounded the Dragons by six.

Drexel is back in action on Tuesday night at the DAC when Northeastern comes to town for a 7 p.m. tip.