Women's Basketball Captures TD Bank Classic Title, 60-44 Over Vermont

Saturday, November 24

Burlington, Vt.

4 p.m.

Drexel University

4-1

Vermont

3-3

Drexel

Vermont

Women's Basketball Captures TD Bank Classic Title, 60-44 Over Vermont

11/24/2018 6:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BURLINGTON, Vt. – Bailey Greenberg burst out of the gates with 17 of her career-high 22 points before halftime as the Drexel women's basketball team captured the TD Bank Classic championship on Saturday with a 60-44 victory over the host Vermont Catamounts. Greenberg's fast start kept the Dragons in front early, then capped a late first-half run that left them firmly in control.

Greenberg was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, combining her career day on Saturday with a 19-point performance in the win over Siena in the first round on Friday. Aubree Brown was also named to the All-Tournament Team after posting 15 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds combined over the two-game weekend.

Greenberg added eight rebounds to her 22 points as Drexel overcame a 20-9 deficit on the boards at halftime to outrebound the Catamounts 33-31. Niki Metzel, who also reached a career high with 13 points, added seven rebounds. Brown had three points, six boards and four assists along with a pair of steals on Saturday.

Keishana Washington scored or assisted on all 11 points of an 11-0 Drexel run to close the second quarter. The Dragons would ultimately turn it into a whopping 25-0 run as Vermont did not score for more than 11 minutes of game time. Washington finished with eight points and five assists on the afternoon. Mariah Leonard, making her first appearance in exactly a year after missing much of the 2017-18 season due to injury, scored seven second-half points. Maura Hendrixson added three, the first points of her collegiate career, while Ana Ferariu and Tereza Kracikova each scored two.

Like Friday's win over Siena, Saturday saw the Dragons maintain an early lead but find themselves unable to shake off the Catamounts. Drexel was unable to hit a three for most of the half, and despite forcing 14 Vermont turnovers, the Dragons allowed Vermont to get well at the free throw line and control the glass. In the first quarter, the Catamounts were 9-for-10 from the line to stay close, down 16-14 after one, despite shooting 2-for-9 from the floor.

Drexel still led by just two, 24-22, with just over three minutes to play before halftime when freshman point guard Keishana Washington threaded a pass inside to Tereza Kracikova, who dropped in a turnaround jumper to make it a four-point game. Kracikova's bucket wound up starting an 11-0 Dragons run, with all five buckets either scored or assisted by Washington. She netted four herself, and found Niki Metzel for a cutting lay-up before feeding Bailey Greenberg for the Dragons' first three-pointer from the top of the key to cap the run. Greenberg's three gave her 17 points before halftime on 7-of-10 shooting.

The second half started much as the first ended. Ultimately, Vermont went 11:08 of game time between points as Drexel scored 25 in a row to build what proved to be an insurmountable lead. Metzel was the catalyst in the third quarter, netting seven points to build her career-best total of 13. Mariah Leonard also came off the bench in the third quarter for her first appearance of the season, scoring three in the run.

Vermont got back within 15 late in the fourth quarter, but the Dragons had built far too big a lead as they cruised to the victory. It was Drexel's second title in the TD Bank Classic, having also won the tournament in 2012.

Drexel will return to Philadelphia for its next game, though the Dragons will remain on the road. They will visit La Salle on Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. for the second of three city games on the schedule this season, following 51-34 victory over Saint Joseph's on Nov. 11.