Spring Break
Women's basketball team ends ODU's reign; advances to CAA Championship
Mike Mazzeo
Issue date: 3/13/09 Section: Sports
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.
"We made history," senior guard Andrea Peterson said. "We gave them their loss."
It was the first time since 1991-1992 that the Lady Monarchs will not be representing the conference in the field of 64.
"I was up four hours after curfew thinking about it," senior forward Nicole Hester said of the possibility of ending ODU's run. "I didn't think about it during the game. "But before that we always talked about that they were 51-0 and we wanted to give them that one loss. This is our year."
Drexel now advances to its first CAA Championship game since joining the conference back in 2001-02, where it will face the winner of the other semifinal game that pits No. 2 VCU against No. 3 James Madison.
"Tomorrow is the end," CAA Coach of the Year Denise Dillon said. "You give it everything you have."
CAA Player of the Year Gabriela Marginean shook off a head injury and poured in a game-high 20 points and added nine rebounds for the Dragons (23-8), who have won 15 consecutive games and set a single-season program record for wins.
"We were definitely happy [with beating ODU]," Marginean, who exited to chants of "MVP! MVP! MVP!" said. "But tomorrow is the big game."
Sharpshooting sophomore guard Jasmina Rosseel added 12 points and a pair of clutch 3-pointers, while senior forward Nicole Hester had 10.
Freshman forward Tyler Hale gave Drexel a huge spark off its bench, stuffing the stat-sheet with game-highs of 10 rebounds and four steals to go along with five points.
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.
"We made history," senior guard Andrea Peterson said. "We gave them their loss."
It was the first time since 1991-1992 that the Lady Monarchs will not be representing the conference in the field of 64.
"I was up four hours after curfew thinking about it," senior forward Nicole Hester said of the possibility of ending ODU's run. "I didn't think about it during the game. "But before that we always talked about that they were 51-0 and we wanted to give them that one loss. This is our year."
Drexel now advances to its first CAA Championship game since joining the conference back in 2001-02, where it will face the winner of the other semifinal game that pits No. 2 VCU against No. 3 James Madison.
"Tomorrow is the end," CAA Coach of the Year Denise Dillon said. "You give it everything you have."
CAA Player of the Year Gabriela Marginean shook off a head injury and poured in a game-high 20 points and added nine rebounds for the Dragons (23-8), who have won 15 consecutive games and set a single-season program record for wins.
"We were definitely happy [with beating ODU]," Marginean, who exited to chants of "MVP! MVP! MVP!" said. "But tomorrow is the big game."
Sharpshooting sophomore guard Jasmina Rosseel added 12 points and a pair of clutch 3-pointers, while senior forward Nicole Hester had 10.
Freshman forward Tyler Hale gave Drexel a huge spark off its bench, stuffing the stat-sheet with game-highs of 10 rebounds and four steals to go along with five points.
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