Drexel and Delaware meeting for first time since Dragons' historic win
Drexel set an NCAA Division I record by overcoming a 34-point deficit in defeating the Blue Hens, 85-83 last February.
Delaware coach Martin Ingelsby knew the topic would come up before his team hosts Drexel at 2 p.m. Saturday in a renewal of their Colonial Athletic Association rivalry.
The subject concerned a game that made NCAA history, just not the kind that the Blue Hens coach wants to be noted for. Last Feb. 22, Drexel overcame a 34-point deficit to defeat the visiting Blue Hens, 85-83. It was the largest comeback in Division I men’s basketball history, breaking a record that had stood since 1950.
“I found myself trying not to mention it" to the team, Ingelsby said earlier this week on a CAA conference call. “Our older guys, Eric Carter and Darian Bryant, mentioned it and want to use it as motivation.”
Not surprisingly, Drexel isn’t focusing on last year’s game.
“We are not talking about it because this is a totally different team,” said senior guard Troy Harper, who leads the Dragons with a 16.2 scoring average. “You can’t think of last year’s team with different players.”
That doesn’t mean Harper will ever forget that game.
"It is still surreal, knowing it is an NCAA record, one that had stood for so many years,” said Harper, who scored 13 points in that win.
As much as that loss stung, Delaware rebounded to win two of its final three games, including one in the CAA Tournament.
This season, both Drexel (10-11, 4-4 CAA) and Delaware (13-8, 5-3) are surpassing expectations. In the CAA preseason poll, Delaware was picked to finish seventh in the 10-team conference and Drexel was selected ninth. Delaware is one victory from matching last year’s win total, and Drexel is three away.
Despite some key injuries, Drexel is playing its best basketball of the season. The Dragons have won two in a row and three of their last four, including Saturday’s 73-68 comeback victory over James Madison. Drexel trailed by as many as 18 points in that one, and it was the fifth win this season in which the Dragons overcame a lead of 10 points or more.
Second-leading scorer Alihan Demir played just three minutes in the second half of Saturday’s win after he took a hard fall just before halftime. A school official said the 6-foot-9 Demir, who is averaging 14.6 points and 7.2 rebounds, is expected to play Saturday.
Delaware is led by Carter, a 6-9 senior averaging 17.5 points and 10.1 rebounds.
“He is very consistent, is able to score, has good size and multiple moves around the basket," Drexel coach Zach Spiker said. "He is a very effective player and tough matchup for every team in our league that plays Delaware.”