Women’s Basketball Outlasts Northeastern for Friday CAA Win, 50-41

Friday, January 10

Daskalakis Athletic Center

7 p.m.

Drexel University

9-6,2-1CAA

Northeastern

5-8,1-1CAA

Northeastern

Drexel

Photo by: Gavin Baker

Women’s Basketball Outlasts Northeastern for Friday CAA Win, 50-41

1/10/2020 9:51:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – The Drexel University women's basketball team (9-6, 2-1 CAA) outlasted the Northeastern University Huskies (5-8, 1-1 CAA) in a physical and defensive battle to win by a final of 50-41 in the Dragons' CAA home opener from the Daskalakis Athletic Center on Friday night.

HIGHLIGHTS
* Northeastern committed 26 fouls in the game including 16 in the fourth quarter. The Dragons went 17-of-25 from the foul line overall and 13-of-19 in the final quarter.
* DU held NU to just two points in the second quarter, a defensive low on the season for Drexel (3 in Q3 vs. La Salle). The Dragons were not able to widen the gap as they scored just seven in the period.
* Drexel forced a season-high 28 opponent turnovers for the second time this season (Dec. 17 vs. La Salle).
* Senior Niki Metzel tied for a team-high 13 points including 5-of-6 from the line and scored eight points by halftime. Metzel also recorded four steals and two assists.
* Senior Mariah Leonard also finished with 13 points behind 5-of-8 shooting and 3-of-3 at the line. She had seven points in the fourth quarter and 11 points in the second half. The senior also had six rebounds, three steals and two assists. Leonard is averaging 13.3 points per game over the first three CAA games.
* Junior Hannah Nihill scored eight points with four rebounds, two assists and a steal.
* The Huskies were able to limit senior Bailey Greenberg to a season-low six points, her first time in single digits on the year.

GAMEPLAY
Q1 /
Metzel knocked down two shots in the opening period while Nihill and Connolly both drained threes from beyond the arc. A late turnover by the Dragons led to a shot on the other end of the floor as Northeastern took the lead just before time expired, 13-12.

Q2 /
The second quarter was low scoring with the teams combining for just three points over the first 6:42. Metzel made the first field goal of the quarter for the Dragons with 3:18 on the clock to tie it up, 15-15. The senior continued with her fourth field goal of the half after gathering a steal on the ensuing possession. Drexel ended the half on a 7-0 run as the Dragons held the Huskies to just two points in the quarter, 19-15.

Q3 /
Northeastern went on a 6-0 run late in the third quarter to take a 26-25 advantage. Leonard broke the stretch with a layup underneath as Drexel regained the lead with 1:37 to go. The Dragons took a 29-26 lead into the fourth quarter.

Q4 /
Northeastern banked in a three-pointer to even it up at 31-31 with 6:44 to play. Leonard converted a three-point play to put the Dragons up 34-31 with 4:47 left. The senior tied for a quarter-high seven points in the final frame to get her to 13 on the night. Drexel spent a majority of the fourth at the free-throw line as Northeastern committed 16 fouls in the final 10 minutes along with 10 turnovers. DU took its largest lead of 11 with just under a minute to play. Drexel connected of 13-of-19 foul attempts to hold on for the 50-41 win.

NOTES
* Drexel shot 29.4% (15-of-51) from the floor, 16.7% (3-of-18) from three-point range and 68.0% (17-of-25) from the foul line.
* Northeastern shot 34.0% (18-of-53) from the field, 23.5% (4-of-17) from deep and 16.7% (1-of-6) from the free-throw line.
* It marked the second time Drexel shot below 30.0% from the field, though the Dragons are 2-0 in those games (W, 66-62 at Quinnipiac on Nov. 5).

NEXT UP
Drexel welcomes the Hofstra University Pride to the DAC to continue the Dragons' homestand on Sunday, Jan. 12 at 2 p.m.