Drexel women fall, 60-58, in overtime at Yale
Keishana Washington scored 33 points for the Dragons but did not get enough scoring help in the defeat.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Although Drexel’s women got off to a good start, Yale came back and forced an overtime period as the Dragons fell, 60-58, Sunday at the John J. Lee Amphitheater. Nyla McGill made a layup as the clock expired to win it for the Bulldogs.
FIfth-year guard Keishana Washington — the No. 4 scorer in the country — continued to impress with 33 points, and junior forward Jasmine Valentine secured 12 rebounds for Drexel. Despite their stellar performances, lack of scoring support made it difficult for the Dragons (5-3) to compete with Yale’s depth.
Kiley Capstraw paced the winners with 18 points. Klara Astrom contributed 11 points and Jenna Clark 10.
Hot start turns cold
A 9-0 run to start the game made for a promising beginning for Drexel. It took 6 minutes, 35 seconds for the Dragons to surrender the shutout. However, a 11-4 run by Yale (5-6) to end the first quarter erased much of Drexel’s momentum.
Holding onto a 13-11 lead after 10 minutes, Drexel played even with the Bulldogs through the rest of the half. At the break, the teams were knotted at 23.
It was anybody’s game in the third quarter with two lead changes and three ties. However, another Yale run cushioned the hosts’ lead.
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A steal-turned-layup from Yale guard Jenna Clark with just under four minutes left gave the Bulldogs an 11-point lead and appeared to be a dagger. However, the Dragons got a second wind and put together a 12-2 run to pull within one point with just a minute left.
Washington tied the score at 54 with a free throw in the final seconds of regulation.
Depth issues
Drexel’s starters played well, but they barely got any rest. The bench had only 17 total minutes and scored two points. With standout freshman Kylie Lavelle out with an injury, Drexel’s shallow roster is just coming to light.
Yale came back from its early deficit because of rebounding. With 11 total offensive rebounds, the Bulldogs totaled 14 second-chance points.
Next up
The Dragons will play their second straight Ivy League opponent on Tuesday (noon) at Dartmouth (2-7).