Home Win Streak Goes to 11 as Dragons Win 20th Overall, 54-34, over William and Mary

Sunday, February 18

Daskalakis Athletic Center

2 p.m.

Drexel University

20-6, 12-2

William & Mary

16-10,7-8

William & Mary

DREXEL

Photo by: Greg Carroccio

Home Win Streak Goes to 11 as Dragons Win 20th Overall, 54-34, over William and Mary

2/18/2018 4:21:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – Putting together one of its best defensive showings of the season, the Drexel women's basketball team cruised to a 54-34 victory over William & Mary on Sunday at the Daskalakis Athletic Center to improve to 20-6 overall on the year. It marks the first time in program history that the Dragons, who went 22-11 last season, have won 20 or more games in back-to-back seasons. Drexel also lifted itself to a 12-2 mark in Colonial Athletic Association action and a perfect 11-0 record at the DAC.

The win completed a season sweep of the Tribe (16-10, 7-8), who failed to score 10 points in any quarter. It was the first time since NCAA women's basketball went to the quarter system three years ago that Drexel held an opponent to single-digit scoring in all four quarters of a game. The 34 points were a season low for a Dragons opponent, as William & Mary went just 13-for-49 (26.5 percent) from the field. The Tribe came into Sunday's game averaging 68.5 points per game, the second-highest figure in the CAA.

Drexel was not clicking on all cylinders itself offensively, but made up for it with one of its best rebounding efforts of the year. The Dragons grabbed 43 boards including 14 off the offensive glass, leading to 12 second-chance points. William & Mary managed just 28 rebounds itself and had four second-chance points. The Dragons were just 1-for-12 from long range, but made up for it with stout play inside and passing that led to 16 assists on 22 made baskets.

Bailey Greenberg scored 12 points to lead the team, going 6-for-11 inside the arc. Kelsi Lidge scored 10 with eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in a solid all-around effort. Niki Metzel provided a big lift early in the first quarter as the Dragons' offense was slow to get started, finishing with a career-best nine points and matching a personal high with six boards. Megan Marecic scored seven with three helpers while fellow senior Sara Woods chipped in six points, six rebounds and two blocks. Aubree Brown and Ana Ferariu each netted three, with Hannah Nihill and Eline Maesschalck adding two apiece. Nihill and Brown added two assists each with Maesschalck blocking two shots.

Drexel's lone three-pointer of the afternoon came on its first shot, a Marecic triple with 7:12 to play. That would be the Dragons' only field goal over the first five-plus minutes of action, though, as William & Mary grabbed an early 6-3 lead. It was Metzel who got the Dragons going, working inside to draw a pair of fouls that sent her to the free throw line. She converted three of the four to tie the score, and Greenberg followed with a lay-up off a Metzel pass to put Drexel in front with 4:40 to go in the opening period. The Dragons would never trail again.

In all, William & Mary was held off the scoreboard for 5:34 of game time as the Dragons took the lead. Greenberg and Marecic combined for the last six points of the quarter to put Drexel comfortably in front, 18-9, and the Dragons never looked back from there.

In addition to the 5:34 scoreless drought in the first quarter, the Tribe was held without a field goal for a stretch of 5:35 in the second and 6:31 in the third. They also managed just one bucket and two total points over the final 4:59 of the game. Drexel limited William & Mary to nine points in each of the first three quarters before capping the game with a seven-point stand in the fourth.

The Dragons now turn their attention to the home stretch of the regular season with four games remaining, including two on the road. First, though, Drexel will host first-place James Madison on Friday night. The Dragons, who currently sit one game back of the Dukes in the loss column, can leave themselves in strong shape to get the league's No. 1 seed in the upcoming CAA Tournament – held at the DAC – with a win on Friday. The crucial game gets underway at 7 p.m.