Women’s Basketball Drops Close Battle at Villanova

Sunday, December 13

Villanova, Pa.

1 p.m.

Drexel University

2-1,0-0CAA

Villanova

6-0,1-0Big East

Drexel

Villanova

Women’s Basketball Drops Close Battle at Villanova

12/13/2020 3:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

VILLANOVA, Pa. – The Drexel University women's basketball team (2-1) dropped a close battle against the Villanova University Wildcats (6-0) on Sunday, Dec. 13 from the Finneran Pavilion by a final of 48-46.

HIGHLIGHTS
* The game was the first meeting between Drexel head coach Amy Mallon and Villanova head coach Denise Dillon. Dillon coached Drexel from 2003-20 while Mallon was an assistant coach (2004-06) and longtime associate head coach (2007-20) on Dillon's staff.
* Drexel and Villanova swapped first and second quarters. DU held a 15-6 edge after 10 minutes but the Wildcats outscored the Dragons 15-6 in the second to find the game tied 21-21 at halftime. A high-scoring third quarter gave way to a low scoring fourth. Drexel's Washington, who had 12 points in the second half, put the game on her shoulders in the final minute but could not get the game-tying or -winning shot to fall as Drexel lost its first game of the season.
* Junior Keishana Washington scored a game-high 16 points with three three-pointers, a career-high nine rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.
* Senior Hannah Nihill scored 13 points with four rebounds and two assists.
* Junior Kate Connolly finished with 11 points and three rebounds.
* Senior Kayla Bacon drew three Villanova offensive fouls (two charges) in the game with four rebounds, two assists and two steals.
* Senior Mariah Leonard notched seven rebounds and drew two charges.
* Villanova's trio of Brianna Herlihy (13), Madison Siegrist (11) and Lior Garzon (10) all finished in double figures for VU.

GAMEPLAY
Q1 /
Drexel started the game on a 7-0 run over five-plus minutes behind five points from Nihill as the game hit the first media timeout with 4:43 to play. An 8-0 run then pushed the Dragons' edge to 15-3 with 13 seconds remaining. The Dragons held Villanova to 1-of-11 shooting until the Wildcats hit their second shot of the day with six seconds left. DU forced six turnovers in the first including two drawn charges. Drexel took a 15-6 lead into the second quarter as Nihill led all scorers with nine.

Q2 /
The second quarter was a complete reverse with Drexel being outscored 15-6. Connolly, freshman Jasmine Valentine and Washington managed the six points for DU. Drexel only hit one of its last nine shots in the quarter, finishing 3-of-16. Villanova's Brianna Herlihy scored 11 of Villanova's 15 second-quarter points to get them back into the contest. The Wildcats evened the scored at 21-21 with 27.5 seconds left on a pair of free throws. Drexel held Villanova's leading scorer, Madison Siegrist (25.2 PPG) to 0-of-3 shooting in the first half with Hendrixson and Leonard mainly drawing the tough defensive task.

Q3 /
Villanova took its first lead of the game at 27-25 with 7:12 to go in the third. Washington responded on the Dragons' next possession with a three-pointer to retake the lead before a four-point play to create a 7-0 run for herself and Drexel, 32-27. Villanova was able to get Siegrist going as she scored her first eight points of the contest in the third with the game tied, 34-34, at the media timeout with 4:02 to go. Kate Connolly converted a three-point play in the period and hit 3-of-3 foul shots for five points. Those five points all came in the final three minutes as Villanova went scoreless over that stretch. Drexel held a two-point lead, 39-37, after three quarters.

Q4 /
After a combined 34-points for Drexel and Villanova in the third, by far the highest scoring quarter, points were at a premium in the fourth. The score remained 39-37 as Villanova called a timeout with 7:56 after a scoreless stretch for both teams. Drexel pushed the Wildcats' scoring drought to seven minutes and 24 seconds before the squads exchanged treys just before the media timeout with 4:40 left as Drexel led 44-40. Back-to-back three-pointers from Villanova gave the Wildcats a 46-44 edge as DU called timeout with 1:18 remaining. Drexel then evened the score on a layup with 43.4 on the clock off the hand of Connolly. Villanova converted to take the 48-46 lead with just under 27 seconds to go. Washington took the ball in her hands on the final couple chances, but her layup and three-pointer could not find the bottom of the basket as the Dragons were handed their first loss of the season.

BY THE NUMBERS
* The Dragons held a slight 42-41 edge on rebounds with Washington's nine and Leonard's seven leading the way. Six Dragons had at least three.
* Drexel forced 16 Villanova turnovers while only committing 11.
* Drexel shot 29.0% (18-of-62) from the floor, 22.2% (4-of-18) from three-point range 85.7% (6-of-7) from the foul line.
* Villanova shot 33.3% (19-of-57) from the field, 25.9% (7-of-27) from beyond the arc and 100.0% (3-of-3) from the free-throw line.

NEXT UP
Drexel's next scheduled game is Wednesday, Dec. 16 at La Salle University in Philadelphia, Pa. at 7 p.m.

Keishana Washington ?????? pic.twitter.com/jMvHakEYmT
— Drexel Women's Basketball (@DrexelWBB) December 13, 2020

Washington finds Connolly to tie the game at 46-46. Villanova calls timeout with 43.4 to play. pic.twitter.com/9hcKvQr4yh
— Drexel Women's Basketball (@DrexelWBB) December 13, 2020