Spring Break
Harris plays like veteran as Dragons beat Tribe
Mike Mazzeo
Issue date: 1/30/09 Section: Sports
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Harris scored a career-high 16 points, leading Drexel to its fifth straight victory, a 62-49 win over William & Mary Jan. 24 at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.
The 5-foot-10 point guard was 5-of-9 from the field, knocked down a pair of threes and was 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
"I've been working on [my shot] more," Harris said of his increased shooting percentage. "The coaches always tell me that I've got to take open shots and not force the issue so that's really what I've focused on.
He played with poise, directing the offense intelligently and efficiently. He had three assists and no turnovers.
"Another thing that the coaches always told me is that the point guard [has to] keep everybody organized," Harris said. "[And] make sure everyone knows where they're supposed to be on the floor."
Junior forward Leon Spencer added 12 points and six rebounds, while senior guard Scott Rodgers chipped in 10 points to go along with a team-high seven rebounds and six assists.
The Dragons (10-8, 6-3 CAA) connected on 47.8 percent of their field goals overall, made seven of 18 three-point attempts and shot 11-of-14 from the free-throw line.
"It's easier for any team when they shoot the ball like that," Drexel head coach Bruiser Flint said. "It was always one of our big issues before the season started and we struggled with it in the beginning of the season. But we've done a better job with it.
"The thing is, we're starting to get some play around the basket and our guards don't have guys wrapped around them as they're trying to score and that makes a big difference."
Drexel trailed by as many as six early in the first half, but closed on a 14-4 run led by Harris, Spencer and Gerald Colds (nine points) to take an eight-point lead, 33-25, into the lockerroom.
"We never got down," Harris said. "We just always stayed confident and just knew we were gonna come away with the victory as long as we did what we have to do."
Each time the Tribe attempted to get back into the game in the second half, the Dragons had an answer.
Rodgers and Tramayne Hawthorne (six points) knocked down back-to-back threes to extend to a 41-32 cushion. W&M scored the next five points, but Evan Neisler (three points) and Spencer had consecutive dunks to get the lead back to eight.
The Tribe never got closer than six points the rest of the way.
Hawthorne delivered the knockout punch with his second three at the 2:57 mark to put Drexel up 54-54 and Rodgers handed out the final blow with a one-handed breakaway slam with 21 seconds left to extend the Dragons to their largest lead of 13.
"Every time they went on their little runs we just stayed poised and did what we have to do," Harris said.
David Schneider had 17 points to lead W&M, while Quinn McDowell added 10. Drexel outrebounded the Tribe 34-26, while holding it to 35.8 percent shooting from the field.
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