Women's Basketball Comes Up Short at Vanderbilt, 73-63

Wednesday, November 16

Nashville, Tenn.

8:00 p.m. EST

Drexel University

2-1

Vanderbilt

2-1

Drexel

Vanderbilt

Photo by: Gavin Baker

Women's Basketball Comes Up Short at Vanderbilt, 73-63

11/16/2016 10:07:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

NASHVILLE – The Drexel women's basketball team dropped its first game of the 2016-17 season on Wednesday night as the Dragons fell at Vanderbilt, 73-63. Drexel saw an early lead slip away as the Dragons went cold from the floor in the third quarter, and a late surge could not push them over the top.

Sarah Curran led the Dragons with 19 points, and Jessica Pellechio chipped in 18. Curran added four assists and two blocks, while Pellechio was one of three Dragons – along with Meghan Creighton and Kelsi Lidge – to pull down five rebounds. Creighton had eight assists to go along with six points, and Bailey Greenberg added seven points. Lidge scored five, while Aubree Brown and Ana Ferariu chipped in three apiece and Tereza Kracikova netted two points.

Much of the game was played at the Dragons' pace, but a cold-shooting third quarter which saw the Dragons go just 1-for-9 from beyond the arc, coupled with three quick runs of eight points or better for Vanderbilt, ultimately did them in.

The Dragons got off to a near-flawless start, hitting their first four shots from the floor as part of an 11-2 opening burst. Sarah Curran had six points in the flurry, which prompted a Vanderbilt timeout with 6:31 remaining in the first quarter. That seemed to steady the hosts, who rattled off eight-straight points to climb back in it. Jessica Pellechio knocked down a pair of three-pointers during the first quarter and Curran came up with a pair of blocks on the defensive end as the Dragons' defense forced seven first-quarter turnovers by the Commodores.

For most of the second quarter, Drexel continued to control the pace of play. The Dragons led 32-24 with 2:08 to play when Ana Ferariu converted a three-point play, but Rebekah Dahlman responded quickly with a three-pointer to make it a five-point game. On the next possession, Dahlman was fouled attempting a three-pointer, and hit all three free throws to pull the Commodores within two. Two more Dahlman free throws and a lay-up in the closing seconds by Kayla Overbeck gave Vanderbilt its first lead of the game, 34-32 heading into halftime.

Although the Dragons held Vanderbilt without a field goal for over five minutes to start the third quarter, Drexel also started cold from the floor. The Dragons took a brief 36-34 lead, but Vanderbilt pushed back in front and led by as many as six during the third period. Drexel was just 1-for-9 from long range in the third quarter, but maintained its poise on defense. The team closed the period with four straight points from Curran and Tereza Kracikova to make it a one-point game, 46-45, heading into the fourth quarter.

Back-to-back three-pointers from Pellechio and Curran put Drexel back in front, 51-50. After the teams traded baskets, Vanderbilt opened up its largest lead of the night with an 8-0 run, its third such scoring run of the evening.

The run for the Commodores was ended by a mid-range jumper from Bailey Greenberg which sparked a Dragons rally. It culminated with a three-pointer from Meghan Creighton to pull the Dragons even at 60-60 with 3:15 to play.

Vanderbilt immediately responded with a three-pointer of its own, and the Commodores would not trail again as they pulled away late with free throws to provide the final margin.

The Dragons will now have five days before their next game, when they host last year's national runner-up Syracuse at the Daskalakis Athletic Center on Monday night. That game will tip off at 7:00 p.m.