Gabriela Marginean walked dejectedly to the end of the bench in tears - the emotions of her face stashed away in her hands. Marginean and the Drexel women's basketball team had defied all logic in 2008-09, dethroning 17-time defending Colonial Athletic Association Champion Old Dominion en route to their first ever CAA Championship and an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament.
Old Dominion's 17-year reign as CAA champion is over. The Drexel women's basketball team, however, is still alive - just one win away from reaching the NCAA Tournament - and looking to start a dynasty of its own. The top-seeded Dragons defeated the four-seeded Lady Monarchs in dominating fashion 62-41, ending ODU's 51-game CAA Tournament winning streak in the 2009 CAA Tournament semifinals March 14 at the James Madison University Convocation Center in Harrisonburg, Va.
In the time Drexel has been in the Colonial Athletic Association, no varsity team has been able to listen to "We Are the Champions" on the winning end in a CAA Tournament - until now. For the first time in program history, Drexel is the CAA Tournament Champion and will head to the NCAA Tournament.
There is something about Towson that Drexel basketball teams just can't figure out. Even though the women's basketball team earned the No. 1 seed heading into the CAA Tournament, it was not going to rely on its laurels, even against No. 8 seeded Towson. Towson guard and All-CAA First Team selection Shanae Baker-Brice had a chance to tie the game down three points with 11 seconds remaining in the game.
Scott Rodgers sat teary-eyed at the podium in the postgame press conference following No. 6 Drexel's shocking first-round CAA Tournament loss to No. 11 Towson. Rodgers had every right to be emotional. His career had come to an abrupt halt - if not an end - as did his team's once promising 2008-09 season.
There is something truly special about this year's Drexel basketball coaches. But the historic performance displayed by the women's basketball team during the regular season is even more impressive - and that notion was cemented at the CAA Awards Banquet March 11 in Harrisonburg, Va.
For the first time ever, Drexel's radio station, WKDU 91.7 FM, will be broadcasting all women's basketball games for this weekend's Colonial Athletic Association Tournament and any potential WNIT and NCAA Tournament games. The top-seeded Dragons' first game will take place March 13 against No.
Going into the CAA women's basketball tournament, there is some steep competition - but in reality there are only four teams to really watch out for. There will be no upsets in this bracket. With the number one seed, the Drexel Dragons (21-8, 16-2 CAA) are the favorite to win the championship.
The men's lacrosse team rebounded from a tough loss to St. John's thanks to the performance of Kyle Bergman. Bergman had two goals and three assists, leading the Dragons to an 8-4 win over St. Joseph's March 10 in Philadelphia, Pa. Drexel (2-3) led 3-1 at the halftime, but scored five consecutive goals spanning the third and fourth quarters to extend to an 8-1 cushion.
