Sara Woods had a double-double with 10 points and 11 wins in Drexel's semifinal win.
No. 1 Drexel Outlasts No. 5 UD in Overtime
Kelly McCarthy
Championship Central | Box Score | Highlights | Photo Gallery | Sights & Sounds | Drexel Postgame | Delaware Postgame
PHILADELPHIA (March 9, 2018) – Senior
Kelsi Lidge scored nine points in the fourth quarter and overtime to lift top-seeded Drexel into the title game of the 2018 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Women’s Basketball Championship with a 58-53 overtime thriller against fifth-seeded Delaware at the Daskalakis Athletic Center (DAC).
Lidge finished with 11 points and was one of four Dragons in double digits.
Bailey Greenberg led the way with 13 points while
Sara Woods registered a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds to go along with five steals.
Aubree Brown posted 11 points and five steals.
Drexel (26-6) will await the winner of this evening’s second semifinal between No. 2 James Madison and No. 3 Elon. The Dragons will be making their first appearance in the championship final since 2016 and their fifth overall. Drexel is seeking its second-sever title and first since 2009.
The CAA Championship final will be held on Saturday, March 10 at 1:00 p.m. at the DAC. The game will be televised regionally on NBC Sports Washington-Plus, NBC Sports Philadelphia and SNY. The game will be streamed exclusively on
CollegeSportsLive.com.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Delaware (19-11) surged out to a 12-2 lead over the first 4:09 of the contest and held the Dragons to just two field goals over the first eight minutes. Drexel chipped away at the lead, getting a spark from Woods, cut the gap to 17-10 after successfully completing a three-point play at 1:12. After a pair of UD free throws, Greenberg knocked down a three-pointer to pull the Dragons within 19-13 to end the first quarter.
It was physical second quarter with neither team making a field goal until the 5:53 mark. That’s when
Hannah Nihill charged down the lane for a lay-up which pulled Drexel within 20-17. That bucket shifted momentum as the Dragons closed out the frame on an 11-1 run.
Nikki Metzel made it a one-point game just over a minute later with a floater in the lane. After a steal by
Ana Ferariu, Brown hit a jumper to give Drexel its first lead of the day, 21-20. It was a record-setting quarter, as Drexel held UD to just one point and zero field goals, the fewest ever in CAA tournament play.
Delaware struck first in the third quarter as
Abby Gonzales hit a three-pointer at 8:47 to end a nearly 14-minute UD field goal drought which began in the first quarter. The bucket jumpstarted an 8-2 run capped off by a lay-up by
Nicole Enabosi which put the Hens on top 31-26. The Dragons quickly countered with a 6-1 run to knot the game at 32-32. The Blue Hens countered with a 5-0 run and would take a 37-34 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Hens pushed their lead to 42-36 with just over six minutes to play on a lay-up by
Samone DeFreese. With 5:01 remaining, Metzel drained a three-pointer from the top of the arc to pull the Dragons within 42-39.
Bailey Kargo hit a pair of free throws with 3:34 left on the clock to make it a five-point advantage. Senior
Kelsi Lidge came up with a big defensive stop, coming away with a steal and feeding Brown for the lay-up at 2:14. The Dragons took advantage of an offensive foul as a Lidge lay-up with 1:33 left on the clock pulled Drexel within 44-43.
A bucket by rookie
Justina Mascaro made it 46-43 but Lidge scored her four point of the quarter with 37 seconds left to make it a one-point. Drexel then turned up with pressure, forcing a 10-second violation on Delaware and getting the ball back. A foul sent Lidge to the line with 21 seconds left and she made one of two free throws to tie the game at 46-46. Both teams had their chances but could not break through.
Drexel scored the first four points of overtime on a pair of free throws by Brown and a lay-up by Greenberg. UD stopped the run at 2:09 as DeFreese sank a pair of free throws. The Dragons got the two points back with 1:53 remaining on a jumper by Lidge for the 52-48 lead and hit six free throws down the stretch to hold on for the win.
Delaware was led by DeFreese who had 17 points and 10 rebounds while Gonzales had 14 points and Enabosi had 11 points and four blocks.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Delaware scored one point in the second quarter, the fewest-ever in a single quarter of CAA. Championship play. The Blue Hens were held without a field goal, which ties a single quarter record.
- It was a tough-shooting first half as Drexel shot 24.2 percent (8-for-33) and Delaware shot 25.9 percent (7-for-27) from the field.
- Drexel held CAA Player of the Year Nicole Enabosi was held without a point in the first half, the first time that’s happened all season.
- It was the first OT game in CAA Championship play since 2010.
- There have been a total of three overtime games in CAA action this season, all three have involved Drexel.
- The Dragons are 15-0 at the DAC this season.
- Drexel Head Coach Denise Dillon is 17-12 all-time in CAA Championship play. The 17 victories are the fourth most in league history.