Drexel falls short in nail-biter against Norfolk State
The Dragons' 51-49 loss in the home opener was a product of several mistakes down the stretch as they didn't have scoring star Keishana Washington to lean on.
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Drexel women’s basketball lost its first game of the season in a 51-49 nail-biter Wednesday after a three-point shot from Norfolk State’s Anjanae Richardson put the Spartans on top with 19 seconds in the fourth quarter.
The freshman guard was fouled shortly after, putting her at the line for a pair of free throws. She made her first shot and missed the second. On the final possession, Drexel’s Brooke Mullin bounced the ball out of bounds off her foot while driving to the basket, solidifying a Spartans victory.
The loss was a product of several key mistakes down the stretch by the Dragons, who don’t have scoring star Keishana Washington to lean on this season.
“This team is a blank page right now,” said head coach Amy Mallon. “I’m actually really happy with some of the things I saw from this group. I saw some people doing some really great things defensively, holding a team to 51 points.”
Junior Amaris Baker, who transferred to Drexel from Harcum College this offseason, led the team with 14 points and seven rebounds.
In 40 minutes played, sophomore guard Grace O’Neill was also heavily involved in the offense. She added 12 points, going 2-of-5 from three-point range, and led the group with two assists.
“I think people forget when you talk about this team, Grace has the most experience when it comes from a minutes standpoint,” Mallon said. “Yes we have older players, but she’s the most experienced from a time standpoint. You could see it tonight, the way she quickly got in the groove of what we did. I think you’re going to see that more as the team develops.”
» READ MORE: Here’s what life looks like for the Drexel women in the post-Keishana Washington era
But O’Neill was not the only highlight.
Mullin had seven points in her Drexel debut. She played along the perimeter consistently in the first half, and adjusted in the second half to be an aggressive shooter.
Next, the Dragons will head on the road Friday to face Delaware State in Dover, Del., at 5:30 p.m.