Men’s Basketball Comeback Falls Just Short to Charleston

Saturday, February 9

Daskalakis Athletic Center

4 p.m.

Drexel University

12-13

College of Charleston

19-6

Col. of Charleston

Drexel

Men’s Basketball Comeback Falls Just Short to Charleston

2/9/2019 6:09:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – The Drexel men's basketball team's (12-14, 6-7 CAA) comeback attempt fell just short at the DAC on Saturday afternoon as the Dragons dropped a CAA contest to the College of Charleston (20-6, 9-4 CAA) by a final of 86-84.

Drexel was in a 15-point hole with 4:09 to play in the second half, 77-62. An eight-point run helped them close the gap down to seven over the next minute. The squad was able to get it to an 11-point deficit after a pair of free throws from each graduate student Trevor John and senior Troy Harper after a common foul and technical foul with 3:50 to play. A steal on the other end from junior Alihan Demir before a layup by the 6-foot-9 forward brought it down to single digits at nine. Harper then went back to the line with 2:55 to cap his perfect 11-of-11 day from the charity stripe to bring the Dragons within seven, 77-70.

Charleston's Grant Riller then scored the next four points for the Cougars via two free throws and a jumper to push it back to 11 with 2:05 left, 81-70. A three from Harper made it 81-73. Drexel then cut that edge in half with layups from Harper and freshman Camren Wynter. Charleston then hit two free throws on the other end to make it 82-77. With 23.9 seconds left, John notched his second three of the day to get Drexel within a basket at 83-80. Wynter found John in the corner with a one-handed pass across the baseline.

Drexel almost made a steal on Charleston's inbound play after a Cougar timeout, but the foul led to Riller going to the floor with a quick injury stoppage. He was forced to sub out while Charleston's Jaylan McManus hit 1-of-2 from the line and give the Cougars an 84-80 lead. Harper took it from end-to-end to make a layup with 7.1 left to get the Dragons within two.

In a similar twist like in the first meeting, the game came down to a controversial play. Charleston inbounded the ball with 7.1 left before Drexel committed a foul, sending the Cougars to the line for two shots. But the officials got together and decided to review the play. Charleston's Jarrell Brantley was hit with a flagrant 1 for a forearm to the neck of John on the same play. Charleston hit the two free throws before John hit both of the free throws resulting from the flagrant foul. Drexel got the ball with 4.9 seconds. The Dragons struggled to get it in. John was able to get an off-balance shot that hit the backboard and then front of the rim before falling to the ground as the Cougars escaped the DAC with the win.

All five Drexel starters finished in double figures. Harper poured in a career-high 30 points while going 11-of-11 from the free-throw line. Demir went 9-of-11 from the floor for 18 points. Wynter notched 16 points with two treys and six assists. Sophomore James Butler recorded 10 points and eight boards while John hit two threes and finished with 10 points.

Drexel made all 19 of its free throws, setting the school record for one game. The previous record had been 17-for-17 against Maine in 1993 and Hofstra in 1984. Drexel shot 53.9% in the game on 29-of-54 including 65.4% in the second half on 17-of-26 from the floor. The Dragons outrebounded the Cougars, 29-26. Drexel committed 15 turnovers to Charleston's six which led to a 20-10 difference in points off turnovers.

NEXT UP
Drexel returns to action on the road at James Madison on Thursday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. to begin the squad's final regular-season road trip before visiting Towson next Saturday.