Women's Basketball Falters at Elon, 75-65

Sunday, January 15

Elon, N.C.

3:00 p.m.

Drexel University

12-4, 3-2CAA

Elon

13-4, 5-0CAA

Drexel

Elon

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

1/15/2017 5:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

ELON, N.C. – Wrapping up its longest road trip of the season, the Drexel women's basketball team could not come up with a third-straight road win as the Dragons fell at Elon, 75-65. Jessica Pellechio scored 24 points to lead all scorers, but Drexel was hampered by early foul trouble and could not overcome an 11-2 run by the Phoenix that closed out the third quarter.

Pellechio's 24 points were her most since a season-opening 30-point effort against Penn State, and marked her second 20-point game in three contests. She was 6-for-12 from long range and added six rebounds and three assists. Sarah Curran added 15 points. Meghan Creighton and Bailey Greenberg each scored seven, with Creighton dishing out three assists and Greenberg pulling down four rebounds. Kelsi Lidge scored six, including a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line, to go along with four assists and four steals.

As a team, Drexel knocked down all 12 of its free throw attempts, and while Elon hit just 59.3 percent of their attempts from the line, the Phoenix got there 27 times, knocking down 16 tries. The Dragons were called for 27 fouls including a number of offensive fouls, five more than their previous season high.

The Dragons jumped out to a quick 8-1 lead in the first quarter, holding the Phoenix without a field goal for the first 3:46 of the game. Quickly, though, the team was plagued by foul trouble, with starters Sarah Curran and Meghan Creighton each picking up a pair of fouls before the first quarter ended, along with Sara Woods. Drexel was called for five offensive fouls in the first half of a physical battle on both ends of the court.

After Drexel led 12-10 with 2:42 remaining in the first quarter, the Phoenix ripped off an 8-0 run in just 49 seconds, prompting a Dragons timeout. Kelsi Lidge knocked down a pair of free throws to make it a four-point deficit heading into the second quarter.

In the second, Jessica Pellechio took over for the Dragons' offense. She scored 13 points in the period, including a three-pointer with 3:56 to play before halftime that briefly gave Drexel the lead back at 27-25. With the game tied at 31, Elon ended the half on a 5-0 run – aided by hitting three of four free throws in the final two seconds – to take a 36-31 lead into the break.

Pellechio continued to be the go-to scorer for Drexel in the third quarter, along with Curran who was freed from her foul trouble purgatory after the intermission. After Curran drained a three-pointer to open the second half, Pellechio followed with her fourth of the afternoon to give Drexel a 37-36 edge. Creighton knocked down the Dragons' third trey of the first 2:07 of the period, and Curran hit a jumper that made it a 42-40 Drexel lead with 6:43 to play.

Though the Dragons were hitting their shots – finishing the day with – they struggled to get stops on the defensive end or to take advantage of the stops they did get. The teams essentially traded baskets, including another three from Pellechio, until her long jumper made it 49-49 with 3:07 to play in the third.

Over the final 3:07 of the third quarter, Elon asserted itself and did not look back. The Phoenix grabbed offensive rebounds and caused havoc on the defensive end, aiding an 11-2 run that ended the period. Drexel would refocus in the fourth quarter and briefly slashed what had been an 11-point deficit down to six with second-chance buckets from Lidge and Curran. However, the damage was done and the Dragons could not make a final push to come all the way back.

Having won two of three on its season-long three-game trip, the Dragons will now return home for their next game. Drexel will host the College of Charleston next Friday at the Daskalakis Athletic Center at 7:00 p.m., and will welcome Hofstra to the DAC on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.