#CAAHoops WBB Recap – Feb. 5 – Washington goes for 40 as Drexel and N.C. A&T Keep Pace in Conference Race
Hunter Peters
RICHMOND, Va. (Feb. 5, 2023) – Drexel and North Carolina A&T won on Sunday afternoon to remain tied atop the CAA standings. The Dragons defeated Stony Brook, dropping the Seawolves into a tie for third with Towson, while William & Mary pulled within half a game of Stony Brook and the Tigers with a victory. Delaware earned an important win for its conference positioning, and Elon won its second straight in league play.
Drexel 66, Stony Brook 65 | Box Score
Keishana Washington scored 16 of her game-high 40 points in the fourth quarter to lift Drexel to a 66-65 victory over Stony Brook on Sunday afternoon. The Dragons trailed by five entering the final frame before Washington went 7-of-9 from the floor, including back-to-back go-ahead baskets with under 30 seconds remaining. Drexel shot 76.9 percent (10-13) from the floor in the fourth while holding Stony Brook to 38.5 percent shooting (5-13) to outscore the Seawolves 22-16. Stony Brook used a 7-0 run in the second quarter to tie the game at 22 before ending the first half on a 12-2 run, which gave the Seawolves a 37-34 lead at the break. Stony Brook never trailed in the third, but Washington showed why she is one of the best players in the league, making the difference. For Washington, it marks her 56th straight game in double figures, her 17th with 20 or more and her seventh with at least 30 points. Stony Brook was led by Shrese Pittman, who nearly missed a double-double with a team-high 19 points and nine rebounds. Daishai Almond added 14 points, and Shamarla King had 11 also in double figures.
William & Mary 73, Monmouth 68 | Box Score
William & Mary defeated Monmouth 73-68 to earn back-to-back wins. The Tribe had a big first half to gain an advantage and closed it out in the fourth. William & Mary utilized an 11-0 run in the second quarter to open a 35-22 lead before taking a seven-point advantage into the break, outscoring Monmouth 15-9 in the period. Monmouth pulled within three points at the end of the third, but the Tribe answered every call in the fourth. The Hawks cut the deficit to one three times before tying the game at 63 with 3:43 remaining. William & Mary responded with a 6-0 spurt to regain control and knocked down four free throws in the final 46 seconds to secure the victory. Riley Casey, Sydney Wagner and Bre Bellamy combined for 65 of William & Mary’s 73 points, with Casey and Wagner both scoring over 20. Casey led the way with 27 points, followed by Wagner with 22, and Bellamy added 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. For Monmouth, Bri Tinsley tallied a career-high 30 points, making six three-point field goals and adding five assists.
North Carolina A&T 66, UNCW 56 | Box Score
North Carolina A&T bounced back with a 66-56 win over UNCW on Sunday afternoon. The Aggies build a modest lead through three quarters before closing the game out strong in the fourth. North Carolina A&T gained an early advantage, leading 17-13 after the first. The Aggies extended their lead to five points at the end of the third before outscoring UNCW 19-14 in the final frame. The Seahawks cut the deficit to two 15 seconds into the fourth, which prompted a 15-2 North Carolina A&T run, giving the Aggies a 62-47 cushion at the under-five media timeout. The run was too much for UNCW to overcome as North Carolina A&T returned to the win column and kept pace in the conference standings. Five Aggies scored in double figures, led by D’Mya Tucker with 14 points. It marks the ninth consecutive game with at least 10 points for Tucker, who was joined by Maleia Bracone, Jazmin Harris and Chaniya Clark scoring 11 apiece, and Nyah Willis adding 10 points. Carrie Gross tallied a career-high 29 points for UNCW on 10-of-18 shooting, while Jayde Gamble recorded 14 points, five rebounds and five assists in the setback.
Delaware 77, Northeastern 67 | Box Score
Delaware picked up a 77-67 win over Northeastern to move to .500 in conference play and into a tie with the Huskies. The Blue Hens exploded for 29 points in the third quarter to erase a halftime deficit, propelling Delaware to the double-digit victory. Delaware led 20-12 after one, but the Huskies outscored the Blue Hens 25-14 in the second to take a three-point lead into halftime. Out of the break, Delaware scored 29 points on 70.6 percent (12-17) shooting to flip the deficit into a nine-point advantage. The Blue Hens ended the third on a 9-0 run before matching Northeastern blow-for-blow in the fourth to secure the victory. Delaware was the first team in the CAA with six double-figure scorers in a game this season. Tara Cousins and Nakiya Mays-Prince led the Blue Hens with 14 points apiece, while Mays-Prince added seven assists and six rebounds. Michelle Ojo had 13 points, Demi Burdick scored 12, with Jewel Smalls and Rebecca Demeke, adding 10 each for the Blue Hens. Derin Erdogan and Gemima Motema scored 18 points each to pace Northeastern.
Elon 62, Charleston 49 | Box Score
Elon topped Charleston 62-49 as the Phoenix won back-to-back conference games for the first time this season. Elon had a big fourth quarter, outscoring the Cougars 21-9 in the final frame, which made the difference in the contest. The Phoenix led by one at the end of the third and pushed its lead to five before putting the game out of reach with a 12-2 run over 4:49 of game time. Elon shot 60.0 percent (9-15) from the floor in the fourth and held Charleston to just two made field goals and 13.3 percent shooting. Lenaejha Evans tallied a game-high 20 points for Elon, including seven in the fourth. Ajia James added 12 points and eight rebounds, and Raven Preston contributed 10 points to round out the Phoenix players in double figures. Jaila Roberts led Charleston with 17 points, marking her sixth straight game with at least 10 points. Roberts added five rebounds, four assists and two steals in the effort, while Jada Logan also reached double figures with 12 points.
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