Women’s Basketball Dismantles UNCW on Sunday to Sweep Weekend Series, 61-34

Sunday, January 3

Wilmington, N.C.

1 p.m.

Drexel University

4-1,2-0CAA

UNCW

3-5,0-2CAA

Drexel

UNCW

Photo by: John Crouch/UNCW Athletic Communications

Women’s Basketball Dismantles UNCW on Sunday to Sweep Weekend Series, 61-34

1/3/2021 3:17:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Drexel University women's basketball team (4-1, 2-0 CAA) easily handled the UNCW Seahawks (3-5, 0-2 CAA) on Sunday, Jan. 3 from Trask Coliseum in Wilmington, N.C. to win by a final of 61-34.

HIGHLIGHTS
* The win came as the Dragons' 20th straight over the Seahawks in the all-time series between the two teams.
* Drexel went on a 20-0 run between the third and fourth quarters to put the game out of reach. The stretch held UNCW scoreless for over 10 minutes.
* DU held UNCW to 22.2% shooting on the day.
* Senior Kayla Bacon earned a start on the afternoon and responded with a career-high 12 points behind 5-of-8 from the field and 2-of-3 from the line. She also recorded two rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block.
* Senior Hannah Nihill scored a game-high 13 points on 6-of-13 from the floor with three rebounds and two steals.
* Junior Maura Hendrixson also finished in double figures with 11 points including three three-pointers, a game-high six assists, five rebounds and three steals.
* Senior Mariah Leonard finished with six points and a team-high seven boards along with two steals and three assists.
* Freshman Chloe Hodges scored the first six points of her collegiate career in her second career appearance.
* Sophomore Brianne Borcky (4), junior Kate Connolly (4), sophomore Hetta Saatman (3) and redshirt sophomore transfer Tori Hyduke (2) also chipped in points in the effort.

GAMEPLAY
Q1 /
Points were hard to come by in the first quarter with the teams combining 8-of-30 from the field including 1-of-10 from beyond the arc. Nihill scored four points for the Dragons while Leonard and Bacon also contributed field goals. The score was tied 11-11 after a last-second baseline jumper by Nihill to even the tilt after 10 minutes.

Q2 /
Nihill kept the offense going in the second with a trey to open the period. Bacon then contributed a three-point play on a cutting layup with an assist from Leonard. Drexel's defense kept the Seahawks to just two field goals at the media break with 4:47 to play as Drexel led, 19-16. UNCW tied up the contest at 19 before DU sparked a 7-0 run to force a Seahawk timeout with 2:28 remaining, 26-19. Hodges finished a left-handed layup through the lane for her first collegiate points in her second appearance with 1:21 on the clock. Bacon pushed it to a nine-point lead with a mid-range jumper as she finished with seven points on 3-of-4 shooting. The Dragons closed the half on an 11-2 stretch to take its largest lead of the half, 30-21. DU held UNCW to 7-of-30 from the field in the first half while forcing 10 Seahawk turnovers.

Q3 /
Drexel came out on fire in the third quarter as the Dragons ended the period on a 16-0 run. Hendrixson connected on two more three-pointers in the quarter while Bocky, Hodges, Leonard and Nihill also contributed to the run. Over the final eight minutes of the frame, Drexel outscored the Seahawks 20-2 to take a commanding 25-point lead, 50-25. UNCW was held to just four points with their last coming with 5:42 in the quarter.

Q4 /
The run was pushed to 20-0 before UNCW snapped its drought with 5:27 left, 54-27. Drexel held the Seahawks to just 13 points in the second half including six points in the final 90 seconds with the benches emptied.

BY THE NUMBERS
* The Dragons' largest lead of the day was 32 with 3:08 to play in the fourth, 60-28.
* Drexel had 18 assists on 26 field goals with Hendrixson accounting for a third of those dimes.
* DU forced 22 UNCW turnovers and scored 15 points off those miscues.
* Drexel outscored UNCW 28-18 in the paint, 14-10 on second-chance points, 6-5 on fastbreaks and 15-14 in bench scoring.
* Drexel shot 44.1% (26-of-59) from the floor, 19.0% (4-of-21) from three-point range 71.4% (5-of-7) from the foul line.
* UNCW shot 22.2% (12-of-54) from the field, 16.7% (3-of-18) from beyond the arc and 50.0% (7-of-14) from the free-throw line.

Kate Connolly's block leads to a layup on the other end for the Dragons. pic.twitter.com/hrycRi0TIj — Drexel Women's Basketball (@DrexelWBB) January 3, 2021

AND ONE for Bacon? She hits the free throw to give Drexel the 17-16 lead. pic.twitter.com/97C9uQVw7z — Drexel Women's Basketball (@DrexelWBB) January 3, 2021

Maura Hendrixson finding Kayla Bacon for the bucket. pic.twitter.com/XPdOVxNaIN — Drexel Women's Basketball (@DrexelWBB) January 3, 2021

?????????????? ??????? Kayla Bacon records a career-high 12 points as Drexel wins its 20th straight matchup against the Seahawks in the all-time series. The Dragons sweep the weekend contests. pic.twitter.com/iSfCsNIdM0 — Drexel Women's Basketball (@DrexelWBB) January 3, 2021