Third-Seeded Drexel Advances to Semifinals

3/9/2017 10:00:26 PM

Vicki Friedman

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HARRISONBURG, Va. (March 9, 2017) – Senior Meghan Creighton’s game-high 18 points and 10 team three-pointers lifted Drexel over Northeastern 68-50, on Thursday in the night’s final CAA Women’s Basketball Championship quarterfinal.

The Dragons finished 10-of-29 from beyond the arc, with the senior guard draining six of their 10. Drexel took 10 more shots than Northeastern (12-19).

Drexel (21-9) is looking to reach its fourth conference final in the last six years when the Dragons meet host James Madison in Friday’s second semifinal matchup. The Dragons won their only CAA title in 2009.

How it Happened

After trailing 12-9, the Dragons scored the final 14 points of the first quarter for a 23-12 advantage and never trailed again. Drexel closed the half on a 7-0 run to lead 38-23. In addition to Creighton, senior guard Jessica Pellechio had two treys, and senior forward Sarah Curran and redshirt freshman guard Aubree Brown each one.

Northeastern outscored Drexel 23-16 in the fourth quarter but was never able to pull closer than 16 points. The Dragons are 3-0 this season against the Huskies.

By the numbers

- Drexel shot 51.7 percent in the first half, burying 7-of-15 three-point attempts. Four of those belonged to Creighton, who led all scorers with 12 points in the period.
- The Huskies scored just nine points in the second quarter and six in the third quarter.
- Northeastern closed the season winning five of seven games.
- Curran scored 17 for Drexel, junior guard Sara Woods had 12 and Pellechio, 10.
- Junior guard Claudia Ortiz scored 19 to lead Northeastern. Sophomore guard Jess Genco added nine points and six assists.

They Said It

Drexel Head Coach Denise Dillon on earning the victory after the Dragons dropped the final three games of the regular season: “The way we finished the season we knew we had to regroup and we had that time to do so. The team responded led by our seniors.”

Dillon on JMU: “The keys never change when you’re going up against JMU. Limiting the touches of their top players. Precious Hall, she can get any look she wants. You have to defend her as hard as possible…On the offensive end, it’s recognizing what’s open.”

Drexel senior guard Creighton: “When you sit on a loss, it makes you even hungrier for a win. So I think that’s what motivated us over the eight days off. We had a great season; we had 20 wins, but we had a lapse at the end of the season with three losses. We learned a little bit from each.”

Northeastern Head Coach Kelly Cole reflecting on the loss: “It was offensive boards, it was 50-50 balls, it was turnovers that turned into points. Yes, they shot the lights out early, but that’s what they do.”

Cole on senior Francesca Sally: “Franny’s been fantastic. She’s one of those staples since I took over three years ago. She was on one of the first to buy into what we’re trying to do. She’s worked hard, she’s worked hard on a game. She’s been a leader. She’s got one of those personalities that people want to follow. She led by example this year. She took care of business on the floor. She will definitely be missed.”

Next Up for Drexel

Drexel advances to Friday’s 7 p.m. semifinal and will host James Madison. JMU defeated Drexel 74-64 in Philadelphia on Feb. 24 and 54-47 at the Convocation Center on Jan. 27.