The AU women’s basketball team earned its third-straight win by beating Drexel University at Bender Arena on Dec. 8.
AU (6-2, 0-0, PL) secured the win after dropping a seven-point halftime despite senior guard Alexis Dobbs’ 13 points earned in the first half.
The Eagles struggled to start the second half and initially let Drexel (2-5, 0-0, CAA) take the lead.
“We still need to close out games a little bit better and we’re working on that,” head coach Megan Gabbia said. “But at the same time, it’s an experienced group and you kind of expect them to know what to do down the stretch.”
A sluggish second half that included seven scoreless minutes by AU was compounded by problems on its defensive end.
“They seemed slow on defense and they just needed to pick up the effort on the defensive end,” Gabbia said. “It just seemed like we were coasting and [Drexel] is not a team you can do that with.”
Nevertheless, the win showcased Dobbs’s ability as scoring leader on the team and AU’s defensive prowess down the stretch.
Dobbs finished the first half with 13 points while making five of her seven shots, keeping AU in the match. Dobbs finished with a game-high 17 points and a couple of free throws to help secure the win for AU. Dobbs was the only player who had double-digit points from both teams.
Despite a slow second half start, the Eagles’ defense helped keep the Dragons at bay. AU rebounded Drexel with 38 rebounds to Drexel’s 29 rebounds as senior forward Sarah Kiely led the Eagles with 10. AU also limited Drexel to a 30.9 field goal percentage overall.
The Eagles’ offense dropped off during the middle of the second half. With the score at 44-33, AU was able to hold Drexel off until Dobbs was fouled with 0:45 left in the second half putting AU into a double bonus situation.
As the Eagles look ahead on their schedule, they intend to focus on closing out games more effectively.
“The more we practice it in practice and in games, the more comfortable we get with it,” Dobbs said about the Eagles’ ability to close out games.
AU will round off their two-game homestand with a game against Mount St. Mary’s University on Dec. 16 at Bender Arena.
