Thornton's Three-Pointer at Buzzer Sinks Dragons, 68-66

Saturday, January 25

Daskalakis Athletic Center

4:00

Drexel University

10-9, 2-4

William & Mary

11-7, 3-2

William & Mary

Drexel

Thornton's Three-Pointer at Buzzer Sinks Dragons, 68-66

1/25/2014 4:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF)

Philadelphia, Pa. – William & Mary's Marcus Thornton drained a contested three-pointer as time expired to give the Tribe (11-7, 3-2) a 68-66 victory at Drexel (10-9, 2-4) on Saturday afternoon in the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

The Dragons trailed by three points with 1:46 to play after the Tribe's Daniel Dixon made one of two free throws. On Drexel's next possession Chris Fouch scored on a driving lay-in that he flung up towards the basket and got the role. Drexel called time and after returning to the floor, came up with a stop. Thornton missed a jumper and Dartaye Ruffin grabbed the board and once again Drexel called time to set up a play. Fouch missed a three-pointer but Drexel was awarded possession after the rebound went off a William & Mary defender. With the shot clock off, Drexel worked the possession and Fouch once again drove the basket and scored, giving Drexel a 66-65 lead with just eight seconds to play. The Tribe called time and Thornton got the inbound pass, dribbled up the court and calmly drained the game-winner with a Dragon in his face. The referees went to the replay and confirmed that the basket counted and William & Mary escaped with the win. Thornton's basket represented the 13th lead change of the game.

Fouch was brilliant all day for the Dragons. He finished with 31 points, which tied a career-high, despite everyone in the building knowing that he would be taking most of the shots down the stretch. Frantz Massenat was in foul trouble for most of the second half and fouled out with 1:46 to play. The senior had 19 points and four assists. Tavon Allen, the team's third-leading scorer, played just two minutes due to an ankle injury. Fouch was 12-for-23 from the floor and had five three-pointers in the losing effort.

Thornton was just as good for the Tribe. The junior was 6-for-7 from long range and finished with a team-high 26 points. Tim Rusthoven added 15 points, five rebounds and four assists, while freshman Omar Prewitt just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Drexel led by nine at halftime, but the Tribe cut into that lead in the early minutes of the half. William & Mary opened the half with a 10-0 run to take a 39-38 lead. The Dragons recovered and opened a 57-50 lead when Freddie Wilson knocked down a free-throw line jumper with 9:45. Unfortunately, the offense went ice cold after that shot. William & Mary held the Dragons without a point for a stretch of 5:46 and during that time scored 11 straight points. Major Canady finally broke the drought with a runner in the lane.

Both teams shot well from the field, as the Tribe sank 49 percent of its shots, while the Dragons made 47 percent from the floor. William & Mary was 8-for-15 from long range and made 19 three-pointers in its two wins against Drexel this year. The Dragons were 7-for-17 from deep, but attempted only seven free throws in the game, three of those coming in the second half. William & Mary was 14-for-20 from the charity stripe.

The Dragons embark on a two-game road swing starting on Wednesday night. Drexel will play at Hofstra on Wednesday night in Hempstead. The team will then play at Towson on Saturday afternoon. Drexel does not return to the Daskalakis Athletic Center for a game until Feb. 3, when UNC Wilmington comes to town.