City of Basketball Love

Stephen Pianovich (@SPianovich) & Jeff Griffith (@Jeff_Griffith21)
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Drexel edged Penn, 53-52, in overtime on Tuesday night at the DAC. Both teams struggled offesnively, but the Dragons hit all six of their foul shots in the extra period to notch a home win.

At First…
The first half was about as low-scoring as it gets, with neither team breaking twenty points until the final minute. Drexel would take a 21-20 lead into the break behind eight points from Tavon Allen after neither side let by more than four in the opening frame.

Turning Point…
When a team spends seven minutes in the second half without scoring, it’s usually a recipe for a loss, but Penn was able to survive that type of stretch thanks to the defensive nature of the game, only letting Drexel build a 36-32 lead.

The Dragons would tie it at 44 on two free throws by Allen in the final minute, but Antonio Woods couldn’t answer for Penn and overtime ensued.

In the extra period, Penn took the early lead again, scoring the first four points, but the Dragons answered to take a 51-50 lead into the final minute. Penn would have a shot down one in the final seconds, but Woods failed to score again and Drexel pulled out the victory.

Shining stars...
Allen had a team-best 16 points for the Dragons, and hit six of his 14 field goals as Drexel shot just 29.1 percent as a team. For the Quakers, Woods notched 17 points, but couldn't convert a shot at the end of regulation that would've gave Penn the win.

Noteworthy numbers...
Drexel outrebounded the Quakers, 45-36 on the night and pulled down 16 offensive boards. ...Penn shot 12 3-pointers in the first half, but attempted just six in the second half and overtime. ...Drexel went 9-for-17 on free throws in regulation, but hit all six attempts from the foul line in overtime.

Up next...
Penn (5-6) at Villanova (12/28, 7 p.m.)
Drexel (2-8) at Iona (12/28, 7 p.m.)