Women's Basketball Fends Off Bucknell, 63-54

Saturday, November 18

Daskalakis Athletic Center

2 p.m.

Drexel University

2-1

Bucknell

2-2

BUCKNELL

DREXEL

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

11/18/2017 4:47:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – The Drexel women's basketball team picked up right where it left off on its home court, as the Dragons completed a 2-0 weekend at the Daskalakis Athletic Center with a 63-54 victory over Bucknell on Saturday afternoon. Drexel overcame a slow start to knock out the Bison, who came into the contest ranked No. 16 in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll.

Drexel (2-1) is now 2-0 at home after a 13-3 season that established a new program record for home victories last year.

Aubree Brown led the way for Drexel with 13 points, adding six rebounds, three steals and three assists. Sara Woods added 12 points, her second-consecutive game in double figures. She added five boards and a pair of steals. Bailey Greenberg netted nine points with seven rebounds despite playing just 22 minutes due to foul trouble. Eline Maesschalck chipped in eight points, two assists and two steals, while Kelsi Lidge also had eight points with four rebounds. Hannah Nihill added seven points while also playing hampered due to early foul trouble. Ana Ferariu rounded out the scoring for Drexel with six to go along with a pair of assists.

The Dragons, who lost a 78-66 decision at Bucknell after being unable to overcome an early deficit last season, saw Saturday's game start out much the same as they missed their first 12 shots of the contest from the field. The Bison (2-2) led 11-3 before the Dragons got their first field goal, a Ferariu lay-up with 1:20 to play in the first quarter.

That lay-up, which followed on the heels of one of 27 Bucknell turnovers in the game, seemed to spark the Dragons. Drexel made two of its last three attempts in the first quarter, pulling back within five at 15-10. In the second, Drexel's offense came alive with a 7-for-13 period that allowed the Dragons to steal a 26-24 lead heading to the break. Brown and Woods combined to go 6-for-7 from the floor in the second quarter, with Brown netting eight points and Woods finishing with six.

Drexel surged out of the gates early in the third quarter. After the teams traded buckets early, a Woods jumper put Drexel ahead 30-28 with 8:51 remaining. It would prove to put the Dragons on top to stay. Nihill followed with a driving score, then after the Bison hit one of two free throws, she did it again to give Drexel a five-point cushion. Her second lay-up sparked an 11-0 Dragons run capped by a Lidge score that gave the Dragons a 43-29 lead with 4:39 remaining in the third quarter. In all, Bucknell went 5:55 between field goals as Drexel took command of the game.

Up by eight heading into the fourth quarter, the Dragons turned to Greenberg, who seemed to provide an answer every time Bucknell threatened to pull back even. Her three pointer to give the Dragons a 57-50 edge with 4:44 to play stuck the knife in the Bucknell heart, and her short jumper after neither team scored for the next two minutes twisted it. Greenberg finished with seven points in the fourth quarter overall, grabbing five boards including three offensive rebounds that led to six Dragons second-chance points against a Bucknell team that held a significant size advantage.

The Dragons will next head south to Melbourne, Fla. where they will take part in the Paradise Jam at Eastern Florida State University. Drexel will take on Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Butler on consecutive days starting Thanksgiving Day against the Hokies. The Dragons have just one home game over the next 30 days, a matchup against Lafayette on Dec. 1 at 7 p.m.