Women's Basketball Downed Late By No. 20/19 South Florida, 73-58

Sunday, November 15

Tampa, Fla.

4:00 p.m.

Drexel University

1-1

No. 20/19 South Florida

2-0

Drexel

#20/19 USF

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Women's Basketball Downed Late By No. 20/19 South Florida, 73-58

11/15/2015 6:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

TAMPA, Fla. – Facing a ranked team for the first time in nearly two years, the Drexel women's basketball team went toe-to-toe with a physical South Florida team, but faded at the end as the No. 20/19 Bulls pulled away from the Dragons, 73-58. Drexel trailed by just four midway through the fourth quarter, but a pounding game took its toll on the Dragons as they were held scoreless over the final 6:59 of the game.

Sarah Curran and Rachel Pearson finished with 15 points each, with Pearson knocking down four three-pointers and Curran adding three. The Dragons as a team nailed 10 from long range for the second-straight game after not reaching that mark at all in 2014-15. Alexis Smith, making her season debut, provided a spark off the bench with 12 points including buckets at the end of the second and third quarters that kept Drexel close. Meghan Creighton added six assists without a turnover, and Tereza Kracikova had five points and nine rebounds.

The game was the first Drexel played against a ranked opponent since being edged at No. 8 Maryland, 69-63, on Nov. 25, 2013. They have not defeated a top-25 team since knocking off No. 25 James Madison at the DAC, 68-67, on Jan. 3, 2010. Drexel never led in the game, but answered almost every punch the Bulls could throw until the final minutes of the game.

The Dragons came out firing, picking up where they left off on Friday with four three-pointers in the first quarter to keep up with the Bulls' interior attack. Drexel was able to even the score up a few times in the first period, but could not pull ahead and went into the first break down a point, 18-17.

The hot shooting disappeared early in the second quarter. After Rachel Pearson knotted things at 20-20 with a trey on the Dragons' first possession, they missed their next seven from long range. Trailing 24-23, Drexel couldn't capitalize on an opportunity to take its first lead, and the Bulls answered on their end with a lay-up by Alisia Jenkins. That started an 11-0 run by South Florida as the Bulls threatened to put Drexel away early.

The Dragons were having none of that, however. Alexis Smith, making her season debut slashed to the bucket to end the Bulls' run and pull Drexel back within 10 points at the 3:36 mark of the second half. After a Jackie Schluth lay-in off the glass, Jessica Pellechio stepped into a long three-pointer from the left wing to break that Drexel drought and make it a five-point game. The teams traded buckets with South Florida up by seven when Smith drilled a three-pointer, her second of the game, to make it a 39-35 Drexel deficit heading into the locker rooms for halftime.

Tereza Kracikova gave head coach Denise Dillon some good minutes in the first half, spelling Jackie Schluth and Sarah Curran when that pair got into foul trouble. Kracikova finished the half with three points, three rebounds and a pair of blocks and showed an impressive willingness to battle inside with the Bulls' forwards in just her second collegiate outing. She would add six more rebounds and two more blocks in the second half.

Drexel's defense continued to hound the Bulls throughout. Preseason Honorable Mention All-America Courtney Williams finished with 26 points, but shot 11-for-24 from the floor after a 34-point performance in the Bulls' first-round win over Jacksonville. She was consistently forced to work to get a shot off, often firing long two-pointers with a defensive hand in her face. Alisia Jenkins finished with 16 points and 21 rebounds. Her work on the offensive glass almost singlehandedly powered the Bulls in the first half, when she had 13 points and 15 boards before Drexel adjusted on her after halftime.

The Dragons went into the fourth quarter down seven. With 7:34 to play, Jessica Pellechio drove down the lane and drew a foul, converting both free throws to make it a four-point game. After a pair of USF free throws on the other end, Pellechio was able to break free for a bucket, once again cutting the deficit to four at 62-58 with 6:59 to play.

Those would be the final points of the game for the Dragons, but their defense continued to keep them within range. South Florida did not score for 3:19, and had just four points over a 5:31 stretch before getting a late three-point play to provide the final margin.

Drexel will play one more game in the Preseason WNIT. That game will be played on Friday or Saturday against one of the other teams to fall in the second round. The site, time, and opponent are still to be determined.