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Drexel tops Tennessee State

Soft rims. Drexel players said they were part of the reason they "love" playing at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

Soft rims.

Drexel players said they were part of the reason they "love" playing at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

In a 75-61 victory over winless Tennessee State on Saturday afternoon, the Dragons used a lot of step-backs, floaters, and pull-up jumpers, and in most cases the shots got a home bounce off the rim.

"It's becoming part of my game," said freshman guard Major Canady, who scored a career-high eight points on 4-for-4 shooting in 15 minutes. "That's all we work on in practice. Every day we get about a hundred [floaters] up before we start."

Drexel players said they were forced to pull up a lot against Tennessee State (0-10), whose starting-forward duo of M.J. Rhett and Kennedy Eubanks were stalwart in the back of the Tigers' 3-2 zone. Drexel was outscored in the paint 36-22, but shot 48 percent overall, including 35 percent from the three-point arc.

"I struggled with the floater until I got here," Canady said. "I was used to getting to the basket and just laying it in. Then in college you're playing against big guys and you can't get to the rim as easily anymore."

Chris Fouch and Frantz Massenat combined for 41 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists to help the Dragons improve to 6-2. For the Tigers, Rhett had 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Tennessee State outrebounded Drexel, 19-16, in the second half after getting only six rebounds in the first half, in which Drexel held a 40-28 lead.

The Dragons' win comes after Drexel played in back-to-back triple OTs. But after having a week off, coach Bruiser Flint shook off any questions about fatigue.

"Everybody was like, 'Oh, they're going to be tired," Flint said. "C'mon . . . these kids are young."