Drexel defeats William & Mary 64-58
Drexel Edges William & Mary in Thrilling Conference Showdown
The Daskalakis Athletic Center was electric on Tuesday evening as the Drexel Dragons took down the visiting William & Mary Tribe 64-58 in a highly contested conference matchup.
The game was a defensive battle, with both teams struggling to find their rhythm on offense. The home team's strong performance on the glass and at the free throw line proved to be the difference makers, as they outrebounded their opponents 37-28 and shot 62.0% from the charity stripe.
For William & Mary, the loss was a disappointing one, as they were unable to overcome a halftime deficit that saw Drexel take a 37-28 lead. Despite a strong second half effort, the Tribe could not close the gap, with their largest lead coming at just 1 point.
The Dragons' balanced attack was led by Victor Panov, who pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds and added 6 points and 2 assists. Shane Blakeney chipped in with 13 points and 5 assists, while Kevon Vanderhorst scored 13 points off the bench.
On the other side of the court, William & Mary's Kyle Pulliam led all scorers with 10 points, but struggled from beyond the arc, going just 2-4. Jo'el Emanuel added 3 assists and 4 points for the Tribe, who were outmatched in the paint by Drexel.
The game was marked by a number of large leads for both teams, with Drexel's largest advantage coming at 11 points midway through the second half. However, William & Mary refused to give up, ultimately cutting the deficit to just 1 point before falling short.
In the end, it was Drexel's strong performance on the glass and at the free throw line that proved to be the difference makers in a close 6-point victory.
Box Score
Drexel:
* Field Goals: 24/47 (51.0%)
* 2-Point FG: 16/29 (55.2%)
* 3-Point FG: 8/18 (44.0%)
* Free Throws: 8/13 (62.0%)
* Points in Paint: 30
* Fast Break Points: 4
* Points off Turnovers: 10
William & Mary:
* Field Goals: 22/60 (37.0%)
* 2-Point FG: 17/37 (45.9%)
* 3-Point FG: 5/23 (22.0%)
* Free Throws: 9/12 (75.0%)
* Points in Paint: 30
* Fast Break Points: 15
* Points off Turnovers: 18