Women's Basketball Holds Off Siena, 51-39 in TD Bank Classic

Friday, November 23

Burlington, Vt.

7 p.m.

Drexel University

3-1

Siena

1-4

Siena

Drexel

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Women's Basketball Holds Off Siena, 51-39 in TD Bank Classic

11/23/2018 8:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Despite a lackluster shooting night in the opening round of the TD Bank Classic at Vermont, the Drexel women's basketball team dominated the glass and never trailed in a 51-39 victory over Siena on Friday night. Drexel (3-1) shot just 39 percent as a team on Friday night, but outdid Siena (1-3) 39-25 on the boards, including 13 offensive rebounds compared to just five for the Saints.

Bailey Greenberg finished with 19 points, 14 of which came after halftime as she led the team in scoring for a fourth consecutive game to start the season. She added five rebounds and two steals. Aubree Brown added 12 points and a season-best eight assists against just two turnovers. Niki Metzel chipped in nine points, knocking down her first three-pointer of the year, and had three steals with a pair of blocks. Keishana Washington added three points and Eline Maesschalck, Kate Connolly, Tereza Kracikova and Ana Ferariu finished with two apiece. Connolly played a personal-high 15 minutes, adding two assists and a block while playing solid defense to hold off Siena in the second half.

The Dragons quickly jumped out to a 10-4 lead, but missed opportunities to expand on that edge throughout the first half. Three-pointers by Keishana Washington and Aubree Brown helped build that early cushion, but the Dragons did not hit another first-half trey and Siena was able to hang around.

Drexel shot just 9-for-23 from the floor in the opening half, but limited the Saints to an 8-for-21 showing while forcing eight Siena turnovers. Brown, who found herself with the ball in her hands and the shot clock winding down several times, led the way with seven first-half points, adding three assists. Siena pulled back even at 20-20 late in the half, but the Dragons scored the final three points before halftime to take a 23-20 lead into the break.

In the third quarter, the Dragons' leaders Brown and Greenberg took over. Up by one, Brown stepped into another three-pointer to push the lead out to 28-24. Following a steal by Tereza Kracikova, it was Greenberg's turn to knock down a three. She finished the team's 8-0 run moments later with a lay-up that put Drexel on top by nine, 33-24, with 4:51 to go in the quarter.

Again the Saints chipped away, and had it down to a three-point game before a Greenberg bucket at the end of the quarter sent Drexel into the fourth quarter up by five, 37-32.

Just 30 seconds into the fourth, Niki Metzel came up with a steal on the defensive end, then was fed by Kate Connolly for a three-pointer from the right wing to make it 40-32. Connolly would give the Dragons their first double-digit lead with a short jumper three minutes later. Any hope of one final Siena pushback was ended when Greenberg nailed another three with 2:04 to play, putting the Dragons out in front 47-35.

Drexel will now play for the TD Bank Classic championship on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. when the Dragons take on host Vermont. Drexel could capture its second title in the tournament, having also won in 2012.