Dragons Open the Season With a 64-53 Victory Against Marist

Thursday, November 7

Philadelphia, Pa.

7 p.m.

Drexel University

1-0,0-0CAA

Marist

0-1,0-0MAAC

Marist

Drexel

Dragons Open the Season With a 64-53 Victory Against Marist

11/7/2024 8:26:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PHILADELPHIA – Drexel scored the first seven points of the game and never trailed as the Dragons defeated Marist, 64-53, in the season opener at the Daskalakis Athletic Center. Amaris Baker led the way for the Dragons with 21 points. Prior to the game, the 2024 team was presented with their CAA Championship rings. The ceremony included family members, Drexel women's basketball alumnae, administration and friends of the program.

BY THE NUMBERS
Amaris Baker had 17 of her game-high 21 points in first half. She was 8-for-19 from the floor and made a pair of 3-pointers.

Laine McGurk was also in double figures with 10 points, seven of those coming in the second half.

Deja Evans had a career-high with four steals, three of them in the opening frame. Molly Lavin led the Dragons with six rebounds.

The Dragons shot better than 53 percent from behind the arc (8-15) and had five different players drain at least one 3-pointer. McGurk and Cara McCormack were each 2-for-2 from behind the 3-point stripe.

Overall, the Dragons shot 50 percent from the field. Drexel's defense forced 21 Marist turnovers in the game.

Lexie Tarul led Marist in scoring with 17 points.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Dragons started strong, scoring the first seven points of the game and forcing Marist into calling an early timeout. Amaris Baker hit a trey to give Drexel a 15-8 with just 10 seconds to play. However, Marist was able to trim the lead to four at the end of the quarter as Jackie Piddock 3-point bank shot narrowly beat the buzzer to end the first 10 minutes. Baker had nine of the team's 15 points in the opening stanza.

Drexel doubled up the Red Foxes, outscoring the visitors from Poughkeepsie, 23-11, during the frame. The Dragons shot a blistering 64 percent from the floor and made four of their five 3-pointers in the second quarter as they took a 38-22 lead at the break. The Dragons defense forced 13 first-half turnovers and turned that into 17 points.

Marist came out with a sense of urgency in the second half. The Red Foxes scored the first 10 points of the third quarter to cut the Dragons lead to just six points. Cara McCormack broke the run for the Dragons with a short jumper. That shot started an 11-4 run as Drexel held Marist to just two field goals over the final 7:24 of the third period. The Dragons entered the final quarter ahead by a score of 49-36.

Drexel stayed in control of the game in the fourth period. The Red Foxes cut the lead to 10 on two occasions, but Drexel's defense would not allow Marist to get any closer. McGurk and Evans combined for 13 of Drexel's 15 fourth-quarter points.

UP NEXT
The Dragons return to action on Wednesday night in the DAC. They will begin pod play in the Philadelphia Big 5 against La Salle. It will be the team's first-ever Philadelphia Big 5 game.