Photo Courtesy of Mark Campbell

Boxscore

HARRISONBURG, Va. - The No. 5 seeded University of Delaware women’s basketball team outlasted No. 4 seed Drexel University in a 67-61 overtime thriller in the quarterfinals of the 2010 Virginia 529 College Savings Plan Colonial Athletic Association Tournament hosted by James Madison University at the JMU Convocation Center on Friday afternoon.

Delaware’s (21-10 overall) overtime game was the third against Drexel (17-13 overall) this season, and the only time the Blue Hens came away with the victory. UD snapped the Dragons’ six-game winning streak against Delaware, while handing the Philadelphia natives their fifth consecutive loss to put an end Drexel’s 2010 season. Delaware also added to its now 6-1 postseason series advantage over the Dragons.

“I am so very happy for my ball club,” praised veteran head coach Tina Martin. “They’ve worked so hard this year and we’ve had so many of these games. To finally get one, especially in tournament time, feels really, really good.”

“I’ve been on the losing end of two of those games and its definitely a heartbreaker. The Drexel team played like the defending champions that they are,” stated Tina Martin regarding Delaware’s first victory over Drexel since the 2006-07 season. “I can’t say enough about the battles that we’ve had with them this year. I’d like to congratulate them on a tremendous effort.”

A balanced first-half effort inspired the Blue Hens to a three-point, 29-26, advantage at the break. Both squads got off to strong starts as each connected on over 40 percent from the field. Delaware, who was led by freshman sensation and 2010 CAA Player and Rookie of the Year, Elena Delle Donne with eight, scored seven players in the first frame to help the Hens lead the Dragons at the half for the second time this season. Drexel led the Hens by one on Jan. 17 but on Jan. 31 the one-point advantage was flip-flopped as Delaware had secured a one-point lead after the initial 20.

Despite Delaware leading by as many as 11 on three occasions in the second frame, Drexel closed out regulation on a 16-5 run, highlighted by a strong full-court press, to tie up the game for the fourth time and award an extra five minutes to the clock.

Delaware came out flat in the extra period as the Dragons scored five points in the first 32 seconds. Drexel held its five-point advantage for three minutes until Delle Donne (at right) drained a three-pointer to spark the Hens run. Delaware scored 11 unanswered and was 6-for-8 from the foul line to win out and earn a spot in the semifinal game against the No. 1 seed, Old Dominion.

Delle Donne and Drexel’s senior star Gabriela Marginean, who played her final game in a Dragon uniform today, recorded strong numbers to mirror their NCAA top-10 scoring averages. Delle Donne dropped 30 points and pulled down nine boards, while Marginean led DU with 27 and eight, respectively.

Junior guard Tesia Harris also recorded double-figures with 13 and got seven rebounds, while freshman forward Danielle Parker had eight and nine, respectively.

Drexel got two additional with 10-plus points as junior guard Jasmina Rosseel tallied 12 and sophomore forward Tyler Hale scored 11.

A Delle Donne jumper tipped-off a back-and-forth effort as the teams exchanged three buckets each, while each included one from beyond the arc.

Sophomore guard Kayla Miller’s hot hands made a steal and drove the length of the court for a left-handed layup to lead 7-9 but DU would again tie it up at nine just 12 seconds later.

Drexel then notched a three before junior forward Eva Riddick tallied one at the foul line and freshman guard Lauren Carra made another UD steal and fed the ball to freshman guard Jaquetta May for a layup. Parker went on to use a May assist to take the game’s lead on a 5-0 run. Free throws were exchanged prior to Rosseel draining her second of the game from beyond the arc to take a 17-15 Drexel edge.

A Harris three-pointer swished off a May pass lifted the Hens over DU. Delaware followed with a Delle Donne free throw and a May layup to give UD its largest lead of the game with four on a 12-5 run, but sophomore guard Marisa Crane cut it to one with a three from the top of the key.

Harris and May tallied back-to-back buckets before Hale got one of her own. With inside positioning, Harris pulled down an offensive board and got the put-back for a 27-22 lead at 1:29.

Marginean would next hit a baseline jumper but Delle Donne reversed it with a field goal from the right elbow, though Marginean closed out the half with a Drexel bucket. Delle Donne had the opportunity to put the Hens ahead by six on a three-point attempt but the shot bounced off the back of the iron to enter intermission at 29-26.

Riddick got on the boards to tally a Delaware put-back and open the second stint and did just the same a minute and a half later. Drexel broke it up with its fifth three of the game, but Delle Donne went to the line to hit four consecutive and award the Hens a 37-29 cushion.

Marginean tallied her first three of the game on the ensuing play, but Parker added a UD layup to reinstate the seven-point lead.

At 14:17 Bailey made a diving defensive save in Drexel territory that in turn led to her own, uncontested baseline jumper. Delle Donne then extended Delaware’s advantage to double-digits at 12:40 but Marginean cut it back to eight as the Dragons returned to their offensive end.

Close to three scoreless minutes ticked away before Delle Donne capitalized on a three-point play. Marginean again responded with one from beyond the arc to pull the Dragons within eight, 46-38. The two standouts again exchanged points before Harris tallied a three from the top of the key.

Marginean tipped off Drexel’s strong 16-5 run to close out regulation as she recorded a pair from the charity stripe following a technical foul called against Riddick to bring the game to 51-44. She struck again and again. Marginean brought the game within two at 2:16.

She was then called for a foul at 2:07 and Delle Donne made good on the one-and-one but the Dragons brought it back within two as Marginean fed Hale at the left block for an easy layup.

Harris got an offensive board on the next possession and was fouled on the put-back and hit the back-end of two to give Delaware a 54-51 lead at 1:23. Following a Dragon timeout, Riddick swatted a three-point attempt but Drexel got the ball back to go low for a layup.

Harris reversed it with one of her own but sophomore forward Kamile Nacickaite drained a baseline three to knot the game at 56 at the 32-second mark.

Miller attempted a shot that fell short as Delaware’s shot-clock looked to expire. A jump ball was called following an official review of the play. Drexel got the ball with 1.3 seconds on the clock, but regulation expired before the Dragons could get off a shot and in true Delaware/Drexel fashion, the game was sent to overtime.

Drexel opened the extra period with five unanswered until Delle Donne drained a three-pointer over a defender to bring the game within two at 1:32.

Delle Donne came up big yet again and hit two on a one-and-one situation to bring the game to a draw at 1:05 for the fifth time of the contest.

Riddick was unsuccessful at the foul line with 23 seconds lingering on the clock, but Delle Donne was in position to grab the offensive board and go up for a two-point UD lead.

Parker and Delle Donne each tallied a pair from the charity stripe down the stretch to finalize all scoring at 67-61 and advance the Blue Hens to day three of CAA Tournament action.

The Hens dominated the boards, outrebounding the Dragons, 45-34.

Delaware will face No. 1 seed Old Dominion in the semifinal round Saturday at 12 p.m. Delaware twice fell to ODU in the regular season by a total of three points.

AGATE:

Delaware.........29.....27.....11........67
Drexel.............26.....30.....5..........61

Delaware (21-10)
Parker 3-6 2-2 8, Riddick 2-5 1-4 5, Miller 1-6 0-0 2, Delle Donne 8-25 12-13 30, Harris 5-14 1-2 13, Bailey 1-1 0-0 2, May 3-4 0-0 6, Carra 0-0 1-3 1. Totals: 23-61 17-24 67.

Drexel (17-13)
Hale 5-9 1-2 11, Nacickaite 3-10 0-0 8, Marginean 9-19 7-8 27, Rosseel 3-12 3-3 12, Crane 1-8 0-0 3, Mershon 0-0 0-0 0, Stjarnstrom 0-3 0-0 0. Totals: 21-61 11-13 61.

Halftime: Delaware 29, Drexel 26; Regulation: Delaware 56, Drexel 56; Three-Point Field Goals: DEL 4-19 (Delle Donne/Harris - 2), DU 8-24 (Rosseel, 3); Rebounds: DEL - 45 (Parker/Delle Donne, 9), DU - 34 (Marginean, 8); Assists: DEL - 7 (May, 3), DU - 18 (Hale/Nacickaite/Marginean/Rosseel, 4); Fouled Out: None; Fouls: DEL - 11, DU - 18; Attendance: 2,709.