Spring Break
Drexel comes up short
Mike Mazzeo
Issue date: 2/6/09 Section: Sports
The men's basketball team shouldn't be upset for losing to a 10-14 Delaware team that Bruiser Flint called "the most dangerous team in the conference."
However, the Dragons should be upset that they once again came up just short in a close game.
During Drexel's seven-game winning streak, the team had only one game that was decided by fewer than seven points, a 53-50 win against Georgia State Jan. 10.
But on the season in games decided by fewer than seven points the Dragons are only 3-6.
Now I understand that many of those losses came earlier in the season when they were trying to figure out how to win.
And now that they know how to win, it was even more frustrating that they reverted back to their early season form - missing free throws and not making an easy layup in crunch time.
Drexel was just 6-of-12 from the free throw stripe down the stretch - 2-of-4 in overtime.
Leon Spencer, the most proficient free throw shooter on the team of late (22-of-23 in CAA play coming into the game), missed the back end of a pair that would've given the Dragons a one-point lead with 1:14 remaining in the extra session.
Instead the game was tied, which set up the heroics of Jawan Carter, who drilled a long three as the shot clock expired to put the Blue Hens up 70-67.
On the ensuing possession Scott Rodgers drove inside the lane and was fouled. But the senior guard, a 75.4 percent shooter in conference games, also split a pair.
Instead of a making it a one-point margin again, it was now two.
Of course Drexel had a chance to tie and got the shot it wanted, a straightaway three by Jamie Harris, but unfortunately it clanged off the rim and Tramayne Hawthorne's desperation fadeaway prayer from the corner fell short.
Hawthorne did drain a pair of back-to-back threes to tie the game that reminded me of Dominick Mejia's baseline jumper that knotted the game against Hofstra two years ago.
We won that game in dramatic fashion.
However, Hawthorne missed an easy layup in transition off a steal and dish by Harris on Drexel's first overtime possession that really set the tempo for the overtime.
It was a layup Hawthorne normally finishes.
And it was a layup that at the time would've given us a two-point lead.
Who knows what would've happened after that.
Fortunately all is not lost.
Even in the loss, the Dragons played with their normal intensity. Now they have to get right back on track against Old Dominion.
Sitting at 8-4 and in fourth place in the CAA, it is a huge swing game for this team if it has aspirations of earning a bye in the conference tournament.
I just hope that given the opportunity to win a close game in the future, Drexel will make the free throw - or the layup.
It could be the difference between extending the season … or waiting until next year.
However, the Dragons should be upset that they once again came up just short in a close game.
During Drexel's seven-game winning streak, the team had only one game that was decided by fewer than seven points, a 53-50 win against Georgia State Jan. 10.
But on the season in games decided by fewer than seven points the Dragons are only 3-6.
Now I understand that many of those losses came earlier in the season when they were trying to figure out how to win.
And now that they know how to win, it was even more frustrating that they reverted back to their early season form - missing free throws and not making an easy layup in crunch time.
Drexel was just 6-of-12 from the free throw stripe down the stretch - 2-of-4 in overtime.
Leon Spencer, the most proficient free throw shooter on the team of late (22-of-23 in CAA play coming into the game), missed the back end of a pair that would've given the Dragons a one-point lead with 1:14 remaining in the extra session.
Instead the game was tied, which set up the heroics of Jawan Carter, who drilled a long three as the shot clock expired to put the Blue Hens up 70-67.
On the ensuing possession Scott Rodgers drove inside the lane and was fouled. But the senior guard, a 75.4 percent shooter in conference games, also split a pair.
Instead of a making it a one-point margin again, it was now two.
Of course Drexel had a chance to tie and got the shot it wanted, a straightaway three by Jamie Harris, but unfortunately it clanged off the rim and Tramayne Hawthorne's desperation fadeaway prayer from the corner fell short.
Hawthorne did drain a pair of back-to-back threes to tie the game that reminded me of Dominick Mejia's baseline jumper that knotted the game against Hofstra two years ago.
We won that game in dramatic fashion.
However, Hawthorne missed an easy layup in transition off a steal and dish by Harris on Drexel's first overtime possession that really set the tempo for the overtime.
It was a layup Hawthorne normally finishes.
And it was a layup that at the time would've given us a two-point lead.
Who knows what would've happened after that.
Fortunately all is not lost.
Even in the loss, the Dragons played with their normal intensity. Now they have to get right back on track against Old Dominion.
Sitting at 8-4 and in fourth place in the CAA, it is a huge swing game for this team if it has aspirations of earning a bye in the conference tournament.
I just hope that given the opportunity to win a close game in the future, Drexel will make the free throw - or the layup.
It could be the difference between extending the season … or waiting until next year.
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