The Drexel women's team started their season off with two home games. They dropped the season opener to Penn State on Friday night, 71-61. On Sunday afternoon, they beat rival Penn 56-42.
The defending CAA champs got off to a rough start against the Nittany Lions. The bigger PSU squad had their way on the boards early on and the Dragons offense sputtered. They turned the ball over frequently and their motion offense was stagnant. Drexel found themselves down 35-15 in the first half, before cutting the lead to 10 at the intermission.
The Dragons continued to fight in the 2nd half. Star player, Gabriela Marginean, played well after a slow start. She eventually finished with 27 points. The Drexel offense moved the ball much better and at one point, cut the lead to 4 points. They couldn't get any closer though, as Penn State countered every run.
The Dragons are replacing two starters and it showed on Friday. Marisa Crane struggled in her first game at the helm. Drexel ran some good offensive sets, but shooters Jasmina Rosseel and Kamile Nacickaite struggled from deep.
Much like last season, Tyler Hale provided a spark for Drexel. She struggled early as a starter. After coming back off the bench, she got the Dragons going with rebounding, tough defense and hustle. It wasn't enough though, as Drexel didn't have enough offense.
Drexel's offense sputtered again on Sunday against Penn. The difference in that contest was strong defense and rebounding, combined with poor play from the Quakers. Neither team could do much, and Drexel's inability to score allowed Penn to hang around.
Gabriela Marginean, had one of her worst games ever. She's closing in on the school scoring record and uncharacteristically struggled to finish around the hoop. She ended the game two points shy of that record.
Jasmina Rosseel had another rough outing, but lucky sophomore Kamile Nacickaite stepped up. She was on fire from deep, as she hit 5 three pointers en route to a career high 19 points. If she can be a true 3rd scorer for the Dragons, it'll be a huge plus.
Some of the other young Dragons played well. Ayana Lee came off the bench and sparked the offense with 6 first half points. Unfortunately, she was in foul trouble shortly after that. Hollie Mershon and Taylor Wootton look like freshman that will contribute a lot as the season wears on. Hollie is a fine all around player who can drive, pass, rebound and shoot. Taylor has some nice size and looks like she'll be a good rebounder when she gets more comfortable. Renee Johnson-Allen was solid at the point guard spot off the bench.
It's still early in the season and the Dragons have often stumbled out of the gate. They have some nice pieces and should be a contender again this year, once they put it all together. Marginean and Rosseel (2 for 15 from three) haven't played their best and Drexel is still 1-1.
Nacickaite played well on Sunday and that'll need to continue. They need big contributions from the sophomore class. Kamile looks to be the scorer and Tyler Hale will be the rebounder and high energy player. Marisa Crane as really struggled at the point and she'll need to get better. She doesn't need to score, just be steady running the offense.
Up next is a trip to Richmond on Friday. That was one of the December losses last season. It should a big early road trest. There are still plenty of games left to work out the kinks.
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