Princeton Holds Off Women's Basketball, 66-59

Saturday, January 4

Daskalakis Athletic Center

2:00 p.m.

Drexel University

5-8

Princeton

9-5

Princeton

Drexel

Photo by: Greg Fiume

Princeton Holds Off Women's Basketball, 66-59

1/4/2014 4:32:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – The Drexel women's basketball team concluded its non-conference schedule on Saturday with a 66-59 loss to Princeton. The game was close throughout, with neither team able to take more than a six-point advantage until the Tigers went ahead by seven thanks to free throws in the closing seconds.

Alexis Smith led Drexel with 14 points, part of an overall outstanding game by the Drexel (5-8) bench. The Dragons' bench outscored that of Princeton 24-8 on the day, with Jackie Schluth adding six points and Carrie Alexander chipping in four.

In addition to Smith, sophomores Meghan Creighton and Rachel Pearson were in double figures for the day with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Creighton's 12 points came on 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Pearson was 3-for-4 from long range. Princeton (9-5) was led by Michelle Miller's 23 points, including seven three-pointers. Blake Dietrick also added 18 points for the Tigers.

The first half saw Drexel overcome a slow shooting start to take a lead into intermission, holding the high-powered Princeton offense to just 23 first-half points as Drexel led 25-23. After the Tigers took an 11-5 lead with 12:43 to play, Drexel clamped down and scored the game's next 12 points. Pearson and Creighton each nailed a three-pointer during the run, with Schluth adding four points and Abby Redick knocking down a shot. Redick, who set a career high with 13 points in the Dragons' win at Cornell on Monday night, had another solid game on Saturday with eight points, three rebounds and two assists.

The game seesawed back and forth through the second half, with Drexel leading by as many as four midway through the period. Pearson was in foul trouble much of the afternoon, but scored eight of her 11 points after the break.

The Dragons took what would prove to be their last lead with 8:12 to play when Creighton buried her fourth three-pointer of the day to put Drexel on top, 47-46. Princeton then scored seven of the next nine points to take a 53-49 edge.

Drexel did not go away. After a Smith lay-up with 4:17 to play, Redick made it a one-point game with a three-pointer from the right wing with 3:30 to go. A minute later, Alexander knocked down two free throws to pull the Dragons back even at 56-56 with 2:17 to play.

Down 59-58 with just over a minute to play, the Dragons had a chance to take the lead and got a good look from outside from Smith, but the shot rattled in and out as Princeton rebounded and would score to push the lead back to three. After a Drexel turnover, the Tigers hit enough of their free throws down the stretch to keep the Dragons at arms' length and emerge with the road victory.

Drexel will return to action on Thursday night when the Dragons host the College of Charleston at 7:00 p.m. at the Daskalakis Athletic Center for the CAA opener for both teams. The game will be the first-ever conference game for the Cougars as a member of the CAA.