CAA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL RECAP – JAN. 24-28
Ben Kane
RICHMOND, Va. (Jan. 25, 2025) – One gameday turned into five, with the snow storm rescheduling five of the six CAA games now scheduled from Saturday through Wednesday.
Drexel 68, Towson 45
BOX SCORE
Third quarter dominance led to Drexel earning a 68-45 win over Towson. Despite carrying an 11-point advantage into the second half, the Dragons caught fire in the fourth to push their lead to 25 points. Amy Mallon’s team put up 23 points in the frame, including a 14-2 run through the final four minutes. Molly Rullo got the stretch going with a second-chance layup as a part of her game-high 16 points. Amaris Baker went to work drilling five of the next seven points for Drexel before Deja Evans’ jumper closed the run with a 58-33 lead in favor of Towson. The Tigers were restricted to 25.8% shooting from the field for the remainder of the game, while Drexel was an efficient 42.4% and didn’t allow its lead to go below 18 tallies. For Towson, India Johnston came off the bench to pour in 14 points.
Charleston 71, N.C. A&T 62
BOX SCORE
A 10-0 run to close out the game helped Charleston post a 71-62 victory over N.C. A&T. The Cougars remain undefeated in conference play with a 7-0 record. After six lead changes, Robin Harmony’s team had the last say. With 4:27 on the clock, Paris Locke made an and-one layup to steal a 62-61 advantage in favor of the Aggies. Twenty-four seconds later, Taylor Barbot pulled up and drilled a mid-range jumper to retake the lead. After a Grace Ezebilo layup, Tyja Beans connected with two straight shots to put Charleston up 69-62 before Taryn Barbot’s two free throws sealed the win. Defensively, the Cougars restricted A&T to 1-of-10 shooting to close out the game, and held Tarrell Robinson’s team scoreless through the final 4:27. Taylor Barbot paced Charleston with 18 points, while Chaniya Clark had 16 for the Aggies alongside a game-high 18 rebounds.
Elon 79, Hampton 53
BOX SCORE
Elon took control in the second quarter and never looked back to defeat Hampton 79-53. Laila Anderson was emphatic in the win, dropping 22 points, including 14 in the first half. Carrying an 18-9 lead into the second quarter, Anderson got the Phoenix going early with a driving layup. After Akilah Shelton scored for Hampton, Anderson kick-started a run of three-straight 3-pointers for Elon with Ashlee Shaw drilling the other two to make it 29-11. Charlotte Smith’s squad went on to outscore the Pirates 20-9 in the frame, all while holding Hampton to 21.1% shooting from the field and 9.1% from behind the arc. Kayla Lezama paced Hampton yet again with 21 points and five assists.
William & Mary 55, Hofstra 37
Box Score
In a defensive battle, William & Mary came out victorious, earning a 55-37 win over Hofstra. Cassidy Geddes scored nearly half of the Tribe’s points, tallying 22 on 10-of-16 shooting. Ema Karim and Sandra Magolico put Hofstra up 4-0 within the first two minutes, but the Tribe weren’t fazed. Jana Sallman opened their account with a hook shot before Kylah Smith, Geddes, and Alexa Mikeska scored in a 9-0 run in the span of five minutes. By the end of the first quarter, William & Mary had built up a 15-6 lead that it never gave up. The Tribe excelled defensively, restricting Hofstra to 1-of-14 shooting from deep and 15-of-62 from the field. Forcing 22 turnovers, Erin Dickerson Davis’ team capitalized to score 21 points on its 15 steals. Alarice Gooden had a team-high eight for Hofstra.
Campbell 67, UNCW 61
Box Score
Campbell wheeled away in overtime to defeat UNCW 67-61. Down 10 to start the fourth quarter, UNCW mounted a 15-9 run with 16 seconds left on the clock. After Rori Cox drilled a free throw, Campbell was forced into a five-second violation, giving the Seahawks an opportunity to tie the game. Cox saw her name called on once again, knocking down a 3-pointer with three seconds remaining to knot it at 53. Entering overtime, Campbell retook momentum. Both teams traded buckets to deadlock the game at 58, but Hadleigh Dill was clutch. After a Jasmine Felton layup, Dill knocked down a trey from the corner to give the Camels a 63-58 lead that UNCW never overcame through free throws. Olivia Tucker paced Campbell with 18 points, while Cox was terrific for the Seahawks with 29 points, nine rebounds, and three assists.
Monmouth 65, Northeastern 56
Box Score
Monmouth maintained and defended its first-half lead to defeat Northeastern 65-56. Gigi Gamble dominated the day with 24 points, going 10-for-14 from the field and an impressive 4-for-4 from deep. The Hawks dominated the first half, carrying a 36-20 lead into the final 20 minutes. Cait Wetmore’s side shot the ball on an efficient .556 clip, while restricting the Huskies to 28.0% from the field. After falling behind 4-2 in the first four minutes, the Hawks compiled a 10-2 run in less than three minutes to take a lead they never gave up. Northeastern would come close, pulling as close as eight points in the fourth quarter, but a persistent Monmouth defense prevailed in the win. Camryn Collins paced Northeastern with 14 points.