Flanagan's Career High Helps Women's Basketball to 65-52 Opening Win at Toledo

Saturday, November 9

Toledo, Ohio

2:30 p.m.

Drexel University

1-0

Toledo

0-1

Drexel

Toledo

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Flanagan's Career High Helps Women's Basketball to 65-52 Opening Win at Toledo

11/9/2013 4:43:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

TOLEDO, Ohio – When last the Drexel women's basketball team was on the court, they were winning the Women's National Invitation Tournament on their home court last April. On Saturday, the Dragons opened the 2013-14 season at Toledo, handling the host Rockets 65-52 in the first round of the Glass City Tournament. Senior Fiona Flanagan opened her final campaign with the Dragons with a bang, setting a career high with 19 points to lead all scorers.

Drexel (1-0) had a response every time as the Rockets (0-1) battled back in the second half. Toledo cut what was a 12-point deficit with 13 minutes remaining to two with 4:23 to play, but Drexel stayed composed and pushed the lead back to its highest peak, 13, by game's end.

Flanagan and sophomore Rachel Pearson helped Drexel race out to an early lead, as the Dragons led 12-4 out of the gates with both guards scoring five points apiece. Toledo responded with an 11-0 run, though, and grabbed a 15-12 lead that would prove to be their largest of the afternoon. With 8:47 remaining in the first half, Flanagan stepped up and nailed a three-pointer, evening the score at 15. After a Toledo bucket pushed them back ahead, Flanagan drilled another trey to give Drexel the lead back at 18-17.

The two teams seesawed back and forth for the next few minutes, with the Dragons taking the lead for good when Pearson sunk two free throws to push Drexel on top 24-23. She finished the afternoon with 12 points and a team-best seven rebounds. That started a 6-0 lead that took the Dragons into halftime up 28-23. They would make it 11-0 with five points from Flanagan and Sarah Curran to open the second half.

Curran, who was one of three Dragons to make their first appearance with the team, finished with seven points and three rebounds after making her first collegiate start. Jamila Thompson started and had two points, two rebounds, a block and a steal in her debut, while Alexis Smith came off the bench to pull down three rebounds in seven minutes. Tory Thierolf also added four points, including a big bucket to stem the side as Toledo fought back late. Jackie Schluth made her first appearance since 2011-12, finishing with two rebounds in three minutes. Abby Redick chipped in with six points and four rebounds.

Drexel led 50-39 with 9:03 remaining after two Abby Redick free throws before the Rockets rattled off an 11-2 run to cut the Dragons' lead to 52-50 with 4:23 to go, bringing the Savage Arena crowd of 3,672 to their feet. This time, it was Meghan Creighton who stepped up with the response, drawing a foul to send herself to the line for two free throws with the Dragons in the double bonus. She hit both, and Toledo was never able to get back within a possession.

Creighton put the game out of reach for good with a three-point play at the 2:38 mark, driving to the hoop and finishing while drawing a foul. That put Drexel up by seven, and after a quick Toledo bucket, the sophomore Creighton nailed her second three-pointer of the game, giving the Dragons a 60-52 lead with just under 2:00 to play.

The win advances Drexel to the Glass City Tournament championship game, where they will find some familiar faces on the opposite bench. Villanova, the alma mater of head coach Denise Dillon, won the first game of the tournament, 87-53 over Mississippi Valley State. The two city schools will play for the championship at noon on Sunday.