Women's Basketball Pulls Away at Delaware State, 73-52

Sunday, December 3

Dover, Del.

2 p.m.

Drexel University

4-3

Delaware State

1-5

Drexel

Delaware State

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Women's Basketball Pulls Away at Delaware State, 73-52

12/3/2017 4:01:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

DOVER, Del. – The Drexel women's basketball team is known for its youth this season, but on Sunday afternoon at Delaware State, the Dragons got senior leadership when they needed it as they pulled away from the host Hornets, 73-52. Drexel led by just two at halftime, but ran efficient offense after the break to dominate down the stretch.

Senior Kelsi Lidge recorded her first career double double, putting up a career-high 17 points to go along with 10 rebounds. She also had three assists, and was 3-of-4 from long range to help Drexel to a 10-of-21 day from beyond the arc. Senior Megan Marecic, who had never scored in double figures prior to last Sunday's game against Butler at the Paradise Jam, now has three such games in the last three after scoring 13 with four steals against Delaware State. Meanwhile, senior Sara Woods tied her career high with 13 points and singlehandedly gave Drexel a lead it would not relinquish late in the second quarter when she scored seven straight to turn a 25-22 deficit into a 29-25 Dragons lead.

Though the seniors led the way for Drexel on Sunday, they were not alone. Sophomore Aubree Brown nearly put together her first double double as well, scoring 12 points and dishing out nine assists against just two turnovers. The assist total matched her career high. Bailey Greenberg scored six points including four in the fourth quarter as Drexel put the game away. She also grabbed eight boards to help the Dragons control the glass, 38-32.Tereza Kracikova had four points and two blocks, both season highs. Hannah Nihill had three points and three assists, while Eline Maesschalck had three points and Kayla Bacon added two for the Dragons. Ana Ferariu, meanwhile, dished out three assists and had a steal.

The Dragons started slow, as has been an issue for most of the season. Drexel hit just one bucket – a three-pointer from Aubree Brown – in the game's first 4:44 before Sara Woods started a 7-2 Dragons spurt that got them in front late in the first quarter. After going 1-for-6 to start the game, the Dragons hit six of their last 10 to close the first quarter up 17-14. Kelsi Lidge scored four of those in the final 33 ticks of the quarter, while Megan Marecic chipped in five points.

Delaware State worked its way back out in front in the second quarter, leading 25-21 when Lidge called a timeout to help the Dragons retain possession with 5:55 to play before halftime. After the stoppage, and following a free throw from Tereza Kracikova, Sara Woods began to take over. She drained a pair of short jumpers to give Drexel the lead back, then worked inside for an old-fashioned three-point play that capped an 8-0 Drexel run to give the Dragons a 29-25 edge with 2:29 to play before the break. Marecic added her second trey of the afternoon later in the quarter to help Drexel take a 32-30 lead into the break.

Woods knocked down another bucket from just inside the three-point line to open the third quarter. Drexel added three-pointers from Lidge and Hannah Nihill early in the quarter before Aubree Brown stepped into a three that rattled in from the left corner. The Hornets threw away the ensuing inbounds, prompting a timeout from their sideline with Drexel up 45-38. The stoppage didn't address a solution for Woods, who once again sank a 15-footer on that possession.

In total, the Dragons shot 64.3 percent from the floor (9-for-14) in the third quarter. They didn't slow down much in the fourth, hitting eight of 14 attempts, 57.1 percent. Meanwhile, Drexel held the Hornets to just eight points in the fourth quarter on 3-of-17 shooting (17.6 percent), and forced six Delaware State turnovers in the second half as the Dragons pulled away.

Drexel shot 50 percent from the field for a third time this season, and knocked down 10 three pointers – the third time this year the Dragons have recorded double digit three-pointers.

The game was the first of four straight on the road for the Dragons, who will continue their road swing on Thursday afternoon when they visit Niagara. That will start a two-game, three-day trip to Western New York which culminates with a rematch against Syracuse, which the Dragons defeated last year when the Orange were ranked No. 11 in the nation, on Saturday at 6 p.m.