Upset-minded Drexel loses again
Brett Fischer
Issue date: 2/8/08 Section: Sports
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Nevertheless, the Dragons built an early 24-11 lead and for the first 34 minutes of the game, it seemed as if Drexel was going to hang on for an upset win.
But the Patriots (17-6, 9-3 CAA) went on a late 9-0 run to win 75-65 over Drexel (9-15, 2-10) at the Daskalakis Athletic Center Feb. 7.
"We knew they were going to make some runs," Drexel head coach Bruiser Flint said. "They're a great team. But we threw the ball to them and were our own worst enemy."
Scott Rodgers had a team-high 18 points and Tramayne Hawthorne added 17 points, including five 3-pointers, for the Dragons.
"[Rodgers] played good today, but he's played better," Flint said.
Folarin Campbell had a game-high 25 points and Will Thomas picked up a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Patriots.
"It came down to five plays," Flint said. "They made three out of theirs and we made none of ours. We missed three layups in a row. They made their plays. We had our opportunities and we came up short."
After Drexel built a 13-point lead with under eight minutes left in the first half, the Patriots went on a 17-2 run.
George Mason built a six-point lead midway through the second half, but Drexel was able to tie it on three occasions. Unfortunately for the Dragons, they were never able to regain the lead.
"I thought the first 10 minutes of the game was played extremely well on their part," George Mason coach Jim Larranaga said. "They're a very good team, especially when they shoot the ball well."
For the second consecutive game, Frank Elegar began the game on the bench, while Yannick Formbor and Rob Hampton started. Elegar finished with only five points in 35 minutes, but played injured.
"In my opinion, Frank Elegar is an NBA player," Larranaga said. "[Drexel] has an NBA center."
Drexel shot 44 percent from the field, 38 percent from the three-point line and made all nine of its free throws for the game. But it struggled shooting in the second half.
George Mason shot 49 percent from the field, including 55 percent in the second half, and made 21-of-23 free throws for the game.
Drexel is on a six-game losing streak and has nine losses in its last 10 games.
The last time these two teams met, George Mason crushed Drexel 83-38 in the CAA opener for both teams. It was the worst loss Drexel has had since joining the conference.
The Dragons and Patriots shot very well in the first half.
Drexel shot 50 percent from the field and the 3-point line. George Mason shot 45 percent from the field. The teams combined to hit 12-of-13 free throws.
Game Notes:
George Mason leads the all-time series 8-5. … Last year when the Patriots played at the Daskalakis Athletic Center, tickets were oversold and an announcement was made that fans had to "squeeze in" so that everyone with a ticket had a chance to see the game. … Drexel was honored at halftime for winning the CAA Blood Drive Challenge. … Officially, there were 1,838 fans in attendance, although, the DAC was virtually empty with only five minutes left until game time.
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