Dragons Defeat Fordham in the Bronx, 73-71

Friday, November 22

New York, N.Y.

7 p.m.

Drexel University

4-2,0-0CAA

Fordham

3-3,0-0Atlantic 10

Drexel

Fordham

11/22/2024 9:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA - Drexel's defense got the biggest stop of the night on the final possession as the Dragons went to New York and knocked off Fordham in Rose Hill Gym. The Dragons improved to 4-2 with the win, while the Rams fell to 3-3. Jason Drake had 15 points and seven assists to lead four Dragons in double figures.

The final 10 minutes of the game went back and forth with numerous ties and lead changes. Drexel finally got some breathing room when Shane Blakeney blocked a shot, grabbed the rebound and found a cutting Kobe MaGee. The junior scored and was fouled to put Drexel up four. A few minutes later Victor Panov came up with an offensive board and found MaGee for a 3-pointer, giving Drexel a 73-66 lead with just 1:23 to go. Fordham wouldn't go away and trimmed the lead to two with 48 seconds left. The Rams had the last possession, but Jackie Johnson's jumper over Cole Hargrove missed and the Dragons escaped New York with a win.

Drake was 4-for-8 and 3-for-4 from long range. MaGee and Blakeney each had 13 points, while Butler added 12. The Dragons are now 3-0 all-time against Fordham as the teams met tonight for the first time in more than 30 years.

Fordham came out on fire from the floor to start the game, making six of its first nine shots. Jackie Johnson III had 11 points before the first media timeout as the Rams raced out to an early 10-point lead. Drexel answered with nine straight points of its own to cut the lead to one. Fordham extended the lead on a few occasions, but each time Drexel would answer. The teams went to the half with Fordham holding on to a slim 38-36 lead. Johnson led the Rams with 14 points, while Yame Butler led the Dragons with 12 points and five rebounds.

The Dragons shot 51 percent from the floor and were almost perfect from the line, missing just one of their 11 attempts. The defense held Fordham to just eight 3-pointers, two below their average.

Johnson led the Rams with 18 points, while three others scored 10. Drexel heads to Daytona Beach this weekend to play in the Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach, Fla. The Dragons will open the Florida portion of the tournament with a game against Purdue Fort Wayne on Monday at 12:30 p.m. Radford and Chicago State are on the other side of the bracket.