Women's Basketball Works it Inside for 57-43 Win at UNCW

Sunday, February 9

Wilmington, N.C.

1:00 p.m.

Drexel University

11-11, (6-3CAA)

UNCW

3-21, (2-8CAA)

Drexel

UNCW

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Women's Basketball Works it Inside for 57-43 Win at UNCW

2/9/2014 2:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Drexel women's basketball team snapped a two-game losing skid on Sunday, grinding its way to a 57-43 victory at UNCW. The Dragons led nearly the entire way, and seized control with a 13-2 run that ended the first half.

Sarah Curran led the Dragons (11-11, 6-3) with 14 points, finishing one rebound shy of her first-career double-double. Meghan Creighton and Fiona Flanagan added 11 points apiece, with Flanagan chipping in seven rebounds and a team-high five assists. Kelva Atkins had 14 points and nine rebounds for UNCW (3-21, 2-8).

The Dragons worked the ball inside early and often against the Seahawks, with 20 of their 30 first-half points coming in the paint. The other 10 came on two three-pointers, two free throws and one long two from Rachel Pearson that came with her foot on the three-point arc. Drexel moved the ball expertly in the half, getting assists on 11 of its 13 field goals while turning the ball over just four times. Fiona Flanagan led the team with four helpers in the period.

UNCW stuck with Drexel for much of the first half, taking an 18-17 lead with 7:22 to play in the period. After a quick start, the Dragons had gone cold from the floor, having trouble working their way inside as they had from the tip. The Seahawk lead seemed to spark them, however, and Drexel closed the half on a 13-2 run that left the Dragons up by 10. Meghan Creighton's three-pointer to start the run was the only field goal that was not a lay-up, with Sarah Curran adding two free throws. Curran's 10 points led the way at the break, with Pearson adding nine.

Drexel added the first two points of the second half, finishing their run overall at 15-2. The Dragons showed no abandonment of their philosophy of working the ball inside, scoring the first six points of the period on lay-ups. In all, Drexel notched 30 points in the paint, adding 15 points from five three-pointers. They were also a perfect 6-for-6 from the line.

The Dragons led by double figures the entire second half, stretching the lead to as many as 18 with 2:55 to play. Drexel finished the day at 46.0 percent from the floor (23-for-50). The Dragons' offensive punch came primarily from their starting five, who scored 49 of the 57 points. It was just the second time in Drexel's last 12 games that the bench contributed fewer than 10 points.

Drexel will finish its three-game road swing on Thursday when the Dragons head to Towson for the first of two games this season against the Tigers. That game will tip off at 7:00 p.m.