Women's Basketball Roars Back for 62-55 Win at St. John's

Saturday, December 14

Queens, N.Y.

12:00 p.m.

Drexel University

3-5

St. John's

5-3

Drexel

St. John's

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Women's Basketball Roars Back for 62-55 Win at St. John's

12/14/2013 2:22:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

QUEENS, N.Y. – The Drexel women's basketball team's four-game losing streak is in the rearview mirror as Drexel fought back in a seesaw game at Carnesseca Arena and defeated St. John's in the opener of the St. John's Chartwells Holiday Classic, 62-55. Rachel Pearson put together her first-career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds as Drexel overcame an eight-point halftime deficit to defeat the Red Storm.

The Dragons (3-5) have now won two games this season against teams in the Big East. Drexel is also 14-2 in its last 16 games played in a tournament setting dating back to the beginning of last season. Sarah Curran chipped in 14 points for the Dragons, while Fiona Flanagan added 11. Meghan Creighton five points and a career-high eight rebounds to go along with five assists.

Drexel outrebounded St. John's (5-3) 39-37 on the game. The Dragons played excellent defense on Aliyyah Handford, who came in averaging over 23 points per game. Handford, who had not finished with fewer than 18 points in any game thus far this season, notched just six against the Dragons. Keylantra Langley led the way for the Red Storm with 15, while Briana Brown added 13.

Drexel's outstanding defense that it displayed against American on Sunday was back on display early against the Red Storm. The Dragons kept St. John's from getting any second chances, and built an early 8-0 lead on the strength of back-to-back three-pointers from Sarah Curran and Fiona Flanagan. St. John's would not get its first field goal until 6:38 had elapsed. The Dragons had a chance to push its lead out even further, but could not finish around the bucket on several early looks.

That would prove to come back to haunt the Dragons as the Red Storm climbed its way back into the game. They did so thanks in large part to some Drexel foul trouble. By the end of the first half, seven different Dragons had at least two fouls, and the Red Storm had hit 15-of-19 free throws. On the other hand, the Dragons would not put up their first free throw until 3:20 remained in the period, and finished the first half just 3-of-5 from the charity stripe. Back-to-back buckets to end the half by Jackie Schluth and Rachel Pearson cut into the deficit but St. John's, despite shooting just 30.4 percent from the floor in the half, held a 31-23 lead at intermission.

Drexel carried that momentum into the second half, getting back within a point when Rachel Pearson knocked down two free throws with just under 15:30 to play. She also contributed a three-pointer to the Dragon run. Then, a minute later, Pearson spotted up from the top of the key and buried her third three-pointer of the day, putting the Dragons back on top by a point at 38-37.

The teams continued to trade baskets and leads for the next seven minutes, until Sarah Curran hit two-straight jumpers starting at the 7:19 mark to push the Dragons' lead out to four at 50-46. St. John's continued to hang around, despite not scoring for over six minutes, by playing strong defense and keeping Drexel from extending its lead. However, the Red Storm could never even things back up over the final 7:19 of play.

After being bitten by the Red Storm free throw shooting in the first half, Drexel made up for it in the game's final minutes. The Dragons were a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line over the last 3:15, pushing a two-point lead up to as many as nine before settling in for the final 62-55 margin.

The win was the first for Drexel since November 15 when the Dragons defeated Providence, also out of the Big East, at home. The Dragons have one game remaining in their six-game road swing, a tilt with Prairie View A&M in their finale of the Holiday Classic tomorrow at noon.