Women's Basketball Cruises Past Lafayette, 81-39

Wednesday, December 21

Easton, Pa.

2:00 p.m.

Drexel University

7-2

Lafayette

1-11

Drexel

Lafayette

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Women's Basketball Cruises Past Lafayette, 81-39

12/21/2016 4:09:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

EASTON, Pa. – On the shortest day of the year, the Drexel women's basketball team made short work of Lafayette as the Dragons cruised to an 81-39 victory on the road on Wednesday afternoon. All 10 Dragons who were in uniform for the game scored at least three points in a balanced offensive effort as Drexel took control with a 17-0 run in the first quarter and never looked back.

Jessica Pellechio led the Dragons with 14 points. She was joined in double figures by Bailey Greenberg (13), Sarah Curran (11) and Ana Ferariu (10). Megan Marecic came off the bench to match a career high with nine points, adding five rebounds. Ferariu and Aubree Brown, who also scored six points, pulled down six boards apiece to lead the way as Drexel outdid the Leopards 35-27 on the glass.

Meghan Creighton had six points and a pair of assists. Niki Metzel scored five, Sara Woods added four and Kelsi Lidge netted an early three-pointer to round out the scoring for the Dragons. Drexel had 17 assists as a team, led by Curran's four, while Lafayette gave out just three helpers.

Defensively, the Dragons forced 24 Lafayette turnovers and came up with 14 steals while giving the ball away just 12 times themselves. Drexel held the Leopards to three quarters of 10 or fewer points, including seven-point efforts in the first and fourth quarters.

Drexel had its offense clicking on all cylinders from the jump. The Dragons matched their highest-scoring quarter of the season in the first, leading Lafayette 25-7 after the first ten minutes. Their halftime total of 45 points was also a season high in the opening half. Jessica Pellechio scored 11 first-half points and was 3-for-6 from long range before intermission to lead all scorers. Sarah Curran added eight and Ana Ferariu provided eight quick points off the bench.

The Dragons also were buoyed by their defense, particularly in the opening quarter. Lafayette's Olivia Gumbs worked inside for a lay-up to put the Leopards ahead 4-3 with 8:15 to play in the first. That would be their final field goal of the quarter as the Dragons held them to 0-4 shooting with six turnovers of the rest of the period. A pair of Anna Ptasinski free throws with 7:18 to play in the quarter pulled Lafayette even at 6-6, but Drexel ran off a 17-0 run over the next 6:49 before one free throw from Maia Hood snapped the Leopards' scoring drought. In all, Drexel forced 12 turnovers and came up with seven steals before intermission, exactly half its output for the afternoon.

The Drexel reserves got significant minutes, particularly in the second half as head coach Denise Dillon took advantage of the opportunity to get her starters a rest. In all, the reserves accounted for 20 of Drexel's 36 second-half points. Megan Marecic, who had not scored since undergoing surgery and missing most of last season, went 3-for-6 from the floor and 2-for-4 from long range to match her career high with nine points. She added two assists, a steal and a block. Ana Ferariu, who was named the CAA and USBWA National Rookie of the Week after her 18-point performance against Saint Joseph's, reached double figures again with 10 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Niki Metzel chipped in five points, including three from the free throw line, in her second collegiate appearance.

The Dragons will now go their separate ways for the holiday break before reconvening on the day after Christmas to travel to Miami where they will take part in Florida International's Holiday Tournament. Drexel will play George Mason on Dec. 27 at 2:00 p.m. and Massachusetts the next day at noon.