PHILADELPHIA (Jan. 6) - Georgia State led the first 30 minutes, but host Drexel made a come-from-rally to claim a 56-46 win in a Colonial Athletic Association win on Thursday night.
Visiting Georgia State opened up an early nine-point lead at 15-6 after 11 minutes played as they held Drexel without a trey. GSU led by eight points at 25-17 with 15 seconds in the half, but Drexel got a free throw with five seconds, got an offensive rebound on the second miss and made a basket at the buzzer to close to 25-20 GSU at the break.
GSU's defense continued to stifle Drexel in the second half and the Panthers led 36-29 with 12:35 to play in the game. Drexel's Hollie Marshon drained a three-pointer with 10:20 and then made a lay-up at 9:42 to give Drexel its first lead of the game at 39-38.
Drexel clung to a 46-42 lead with less than four minutes to play when Taylor Wooten scored in the paint at 3:46 and then Marshon made another trey with 3:05 to put the Dragons up 51-42 with three minutes left and secure the win.
GSU (5-8, 0-2) was led in scoring by freshman guard Kendra Long's 17 points with five three-point baskets, plus 16 points and eight rebounds from junior post player Chan Harris. GSU held a 38-33 rebound advantage for the game, but had 20 turnovers to cost themselves possessions. After shooting 47.6 percent in leading in the first half, GSU shot just 25 percent in the second half and 35 percent for the game.
Drexel (9-4, 1-1) knocked down nine three-point baskets, but actually shot 33 percent beyond the arc, 10 percent lower than their NCAA best 43 percent. Drexel's star was Hollie Marshon's ignition when she came off the bench to score 18 points with 4-of-7 three-pointers. Kamile Nacickaite added 12 points.
"I guess I was pleased with the intensity early and we were good defensively for about 30 minutes," said Coach Sharon Baldwin-Tener. "We were short-handed with the injuries to Angelique Burtts and Marcquitta Head and some others did step up and give us some good time this evening."
"A key stretch came right around the 30-minute mark where we had four straight possession turnovers and showed a lack of communication about the same time in giving some open lay-ups."
Georgia State will return to Atlanta for a Sunday game with Hofstra at 2 p.m. at the Sports Arena.
