Women's Basketball Falters in Title Game, Falling 60-46 to JMU

Saturday, March 12

Upper Marlboro, Md.

4:00 p.m.

Drexel University

19-13

RV/RV James Madison

27-5

Drexel

James Madison

Women's Basketball Falters in Title Game, Falling 60-46 to JMU

3/12/2016 6:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

UPPER MARLBORO, Md. – The Drexel women's basketball team never found its rhythm on Saturday afternoon in the Colonial Athletic Association championship game as the Dragons fell behind early and could not recover, falling to top-seeded James Madison 60-46. The Dragons were making their fourth title game appearance but could not come up with their second league crown.

Drexel, which was seeded second in the tournament, will advance to postseason play for a seventh time in eight years as the CAA's automatic entrant into the WNIT. The Dragons will find out their postseason path late Monday night.

Jackie Schluth's eight points led the way for Drexel in its only game this season without a double-digit scorer. Carrie Alexander, playing her 100th career game, netted seven points including her first-career three-pointer. Alexis Smith also had seven points, with Rachel Pearson adding six. Kelsi Lidge scored five and pulled down five rebounds to conclude an impressive CAA Tournament performance. Sarah Curran, who was named to the CAA All-Tournament Team, added four points and four rebounds. Meghan Creighton added three points, five rebounds and three assists. With postseason looming, she needs eight assists to match Hollie Mershon's program record of 185 assists in a season. Tereza Kracikova rounded out the scoring for Drexel (19-13) with two points on a pair of free throws.

Things did not get off to the start the Dragons needed, as they missed their first nine shots from the floor and fell down 10-0 before Jackie Schluth hit a jumper with 3:04 to play in the first quarter that ended the drought. Though the Dragons were struggling offensively, the defense kept Drexel within range. James Madison shot just 26.7 percent from the floor itself in the first quarter, but six offensive rebounds provided six second-chance points for the Dukes to help them build a 13-4 lead heading into the second.

Both offenses seemed to shake off some championship game jitters in the second quarter. Schluth would finish the first half with six points and Alexis Smith had five, including the Dragons' lone three-pointer of the opening 20 minutes. However, James Madison also heated up. The Dukes were 4-for-9 from beyond the arc in the first half, with Angela Mickens hitting a three as the clock ran out to send the top seed into the locker rooms ahead 31-17.

James Madison increased the lead to 18 in the first four minutes of the third quarter, but the Dragons answered. Rachel Pearson curled around a screen and hit a jumper, then hit a runner on the ensuing possession. After another stop, Kelsi Lidge scored to make it a 12-point deficit with 3:29 remaining in the third quarter.

Unfortunately for Drexel, the Dragons could get no closer. The Dukes responded with four straight points, and had the lead back to 17 at 47-30 by the end of the quarter. They led by as many as 21 before Drexel finished the game on a 10-3 run, too late to make a serious threat to the Dukes' lead.

Drexel will find out its postseason fate on Monday night. The Dragons, who won the 2013 WNIT for the CAA's only postseason tournament title in women's basketball, will be back in the event this year looking for a 20th win on the season.