Dragons Drop a Heartbreaker Sunday to Saint Joseph's, 72-71

Sunday, December 11

Daskalakis Athletic Center

6:00

Drexel University

4-5

Saint Joseph's

4-4

Saint Joseph's

Drexel

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Dragons Drop a Heartbreaker Sunday to Saint Joseph's, 72-71

12/11/2016 8:16:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

BOX SCORE (PDF)

PHILADELPHIA -- The Drexel men's basketball team could not hold on to a double-figure lead Sunday night at the Daskalakis Athletic Center as the Saint Joseph's Hawks battled back to drop the Dragons, 72-71. Senior big man Rodney Williams finished with a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds for his sixth career double-double.

The Dragons (4-5) held a 71-67 lead with 2:06 to go after a Tyshawn Myles layup. That bucket, however, would be the Dragons' final score of the game. After Shavar Newkirk hit two free throws to halve the Saint Joseph's deficit with 1:50 to play, the Hawks went back to Newkirk down the stretch. Down two and coming out of a timeout after a Drexel missed three, Newkirk drove through the lane, finished at the rim and drew the foul on Myles. Newkirk, who scored 19 of his Hawks best 27 points (10 for 16) in the second half, converted from the line to give the Hawks the 72-71 lead with 11 seconds to play. Drexel had to opportunities two take the lead or draw a foul, but both Kurk Lee and Kari Jonsson's attempts from deep came up short.

Drexel held an 11-point lead with 14:51 to go in the game before the Hawks went on a 14-3 run over the next five minutes. Saint Joseph's took its first lead on a Javon Baumann layup, 56-54, at the 9:16 mark of the second half. Neither side was able to extend a lead beyond four points the rest of the way.

The Dragons were able to jump on the Hawks from the tip, scoring first and extending a lead out to a 11 points early in the first half. Lee hit twice from deep in the opening two and a half minutes. He would finish the night with 16 points – his ninth straight game in double figures to start his career – to go along with six assists and four rebounds. Sammy Mojica hit a three to push Drexel's early lead four and a half minutes in to 17-6. Mojica knocked down three treys to finish his foul-plagued night with nine points and six boards. The Hawks chipped into the lead with an 8-0 run before Drexel again grew it out to 11 points. Saint Joseph's, though, would again chip into the lead, outscoring Drexel, 13-6, over the final 3:58 of the half to cut the Dragons' halftime lead to 38-34.

Drexel found itself in early foul trouble with an already thin lineup. With Miles Overton out, Mojica and Jonsson each picked up two early fouls, forcing John Moran and Sam Green to play more minutes. Green, for his part, played 16 minutes, more than tripling his season total coming in, and recorded his first career baskets. The Saint Joseph's guard duo of Newkirk and Lamarr Kimble gave the Dragons everything they could handle. The two Hawks combined for 43 points. Kimble scored 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting.

Drexel will next head to Lawrenceville, N.J. for a matchup against Rider next on Friday for a 7 p.m. tip-off.