Women's Basketball Stifles JMU, 50-34, Will Play for CAA Title

Saturday, March 16

Upper Marlboro, Md.

4:30 p.m.

Drexel University

(22-9)

James Madison

(22-10)

Drexel

James Madison

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Women's Basketball Stifles JMU, 50-34, Will Play for CAA Title

3/16/2013 6:38:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. – When you have had 262 birthdays, one is bound to turn out poorly. For James Madison, who was born on this day in 1751, Saturday was that day as his university was stifled by the Drexel women's basketball team, 50-34. The Dragons, who displayed the record-setting defense which has been their backbone all season long, allowed just 14 points after halftime as they led nearly the entire game to earn their second-consecutive Colonial Athletic Association championship game berth.

Hollie Mershon led the Dragons (22-9) with 21 points, including 9-of-10 from the free throw line as she helped the Dragons ice the game away in the final minutes. Taylor Wootton added 13 points and eight rebounds, seven of which came in the second half. Toia Giggetts led the Dukes (22-10) with 14 points.

The Dragons scored the game's first four points on buckets from All-CAA performers Mershon and Wootton. James Madison had an answer, getting three-consecutive baskets to take a brief 6-4 lead.

With 15:28 to go in the first half, Mershon got the ball in the left corner and stepped into a three-pointer, pushing the Dragons back on top 7-6. They woud not trail again the rest of the way. As they did on Friday in the quarterfinal against William & Mary, Drexel used a run sparked by Mershon's trey to take control. They dropped in 11 unanswered points before the Dukes snapped the run.

Drexel led 20-8 with 9:49 to play when Mershon, who had scored eight to that point, picked up her second foul and went to the bench for the rest of the half. Without her on the floor, James Madison inched back into the game. Drexel's defense never let up, though the offense went through a drought, scoring just three points over the next 8:30. During that time, the Dukes persisted and crawled back within three at 23-20 when Tarik Hislop hit a short jumper with 1:41 to play.

Meghan Creighton had a much-needed answer for the Dragons, a three-pointer from the top of the key with 1:19 remaining in the quarter. Drexel would go into the break up 26-20.

After the break, Wootton got the scoring started when she hit a turnaround jumper in the paint to push the lead to 28-20. With both teams playing physical, relentless defense, Giggetts responded for JMU three minutes later to get the Dukes within six.

James Madison would manage just one more field goal over the next 8:30 as the Drexel defense turned up the heat even further. A day after setting a CAA Tournament record by allowing just 11 points in the first half to Wliliam & Mary, it appeared that Drexel had a chance to challenge that as the Dukes managed just seven over the first 17:58 of the period.

While the Dragon offense had its own troubles with James Madison's press and size down low, they were able to create enough scoring opportunities to build a double-digit lead with 6:18 to play at 36-26. Just over 30 seconds later, after another defensive stop, Fiona Flanagan drained a three-pointer that pushed the lead to 13 and got the Drexel fans who made the trip down to Philadelphia in a frenzy. Flanagan finished with seven points and a career-high nine rebounds, tops on the team on Saturday.

Drexel would lead by as many as 19, 48-29, with just over a minute to play before the Dukes got five late points. The Dragon offense spread the ball around superbly, recording assists on all 13 made field goals. Mershon led the team with five, against just one turnover. As a team, the Dragons gave the ball away just 10 times.

The Dragons will now look to take the next step and win their second-ever CAA championship in their third trip to the title game. Last year, the Dragons knocked off James Madison in the semifinals only to fall to Delaware in the championship game after two dramatic regular season games resulted in Blue Hen victories. This year, the same script has played itself out in the regular season with Delaware winning two games that saw the Dragons within a possession in the final minutes. Drexel will look for a new ending in its third meeting with the Blue Hens this season. Delaware, ranked No. 15 in both polls, defeated fifth-seeded Hofstra 75-54 to earn its spot in the title game.

Drexel and Delaware will tip off at 2:00 p.m. from the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Md. on Sunday afternoon. The winner will earn the CAA's automatic berth in the upcoming NCAA tournament. The game will air locally in Philadelphia on The Comcast Network-Philadelphia, while Ari Bluestein will be at the mic for DrexelDragons.com.