Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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Drexel’s women’s basketball program has plenty of momentum heading into its 2022-23 campaign.
Coming off a 28-6 campaign, the best record in program history, and a trip to the WNIT quarterfinals, the Dragons hope to sustain that success in coach Amy Mallon’s third season and have leading scorer Keishana Washington (19.2 ppg) back in the mix to help do so.
The road map took shape Tuesday when the Dragons announced their complete 2022-23 schedule. The non-league slate features six rematches from 2021-22, while Drexel’s CAA is revamped with the addition of four new teams in the league.
The Dragons’ non-league schedule opens with a Nov. 20 home game against Rider — a rematch of Drexel’s 2020-21 opener, which resulted in a 62-49 Dragons win. Then comes a short Nov. 15 road trip to La Salle, one of two City 6 opponents on the team’s non-league slate. The Dragons won last season’s matchup, 71-65.
Graduate guard Keishana Washington returns after averaging 19.2 points per game last season. (Photo: Josh Verlin/CoBL)
Drexel hosts Maryland-Eastern Shore on Nov. 19 and Lehigh on Nov. 22 before going back on the road. The Dragons took down UMES, 65-60, last season. A five-game stretch of away games begins Nov. 26 at Buffalo and follows Nov. 30 at Longwood, which the Dragons took down 79-57 last season. Both programs were 2022 NCAA Tournament teams.
Drexel’s non-league slate follows with an away game at Saint Joseph’s on Dec. 4. It’s the second straight meeting for Mallon against her alma mater (a 2020-21 matchup was postponed), where she was the Big 5 Player of the Year. The Hawks are another non-league foe looking for revenge after Drexel’s 63-55 win last season.
The Dragons’ road trip concludes against two Ivy League teams — Dec. 11 at Yale and Dec. 13 at Dartmouth. Drexel hosted both programs last season, taking down the Bulldogs, 59-52, and the Big Green, 67-44.
Quite possibly the marquee event of the Dragons’ non-conference slate is a visit from Penn State on Dec. 18. It will mark the first visit from a Big 10 team since 2016 and the Nittany Lions’ first trip to the DAC in seven seasons.
Drexel’s non-league slate concludes Dec. 21 at home against Delaware State. The two teams’ matchup was canceled last season, but the Dragons took down the Hornets, 70-47, in 2020-21.
The Dragons finished tied for first in the CAA in 2019-20 before COVID-19 wiped the postseason. They finished third in the league in 2020-21 and won the conference tournament to earn an NCAA tournament trip then followed that up with a conference regular-season title and WNIT appearance in 2021-22.
Drexel will have a few new teams to contend with as it tries to maintain its spot among the CAA’s elite this season. Hampton, Stony Brook, Monmouth and North Carolina A&T joined the conference this offseason. The additions create an unbalanced schedule in the 13-team league with Drexel having six home and away matchups with Towson, William & Mary, Delaware, Stony Brook, Hofstra and Northeastern while playing single matchups against the league’s other six schools.
The Dragons begin their CAA schedule on Dec. 29 at UNC-Wilmington for the teams’ only meeting. Then comes a home game against Towson on Jan. 1 to start a three-game home stretch that could be one of Drexel’s toughest of the season.
Delaware comes to the DAC on Jan. 6 and Stony Brook arrives Jan. 8. Delaware and Towson, finished second and third, respectively, behind the Dragons in the CAA in 2021-22, while the Seawolves finished second in the America East and 23-6 overall in their final season in the league.
Drexel then heads on the road for three games against Hampton (Jan. 13), William & Mary (Jan. 15) and Towson (Jan. 22) before returning home against Hofstra (Jan. 27) and Elon (Jan. 29). Next comes away games at Northeastern (Feb. 3) and at Stony Brook (Feb. 5) before a home game against the College of Charleston (Feb. 10). The Cougars and Towson were the only two CAA teams along with to take down the Dragons during the regular season in 2021-22, picking up a 74-73 win.
The Dragons travel to new CAA foe Monmouth on Feb. 12 and host Northeastern on Feb. 17 before road trips to Delaware (Feb. 19) and Hofstra (Feb. 24). They conclude their regular season with two games at home against William & Mary (Feb. 26) and North Carolina A&T (March 4).
Washington, a graduate guard, is the lone starter returning for Drexel this season, though the team’s second top offensive option Tessa Brugler returns to the program as director of basketball operations.
Fifth-year guard Maura Hendrixson, a Garnet Valley product, was the Dragons’ top reserve in 2021-22, averaging 3.4 ppg in 25.3 mpg. Senior guard Tori Hyduke and junior forward Jasmine Valentine are the only other returners to see extended action last season.
Senior forward Brianne Borcky, another Garnet Valley product, played in 17 games last season and senior forward Hetta Saatman saw action in 23 contests to give Drexel some more experience in the front court.
Sophomore forward Sira Ba, sophomore guard Momo LaClair and junior guard Erin Sweeney (Archbishop Carroll) are other returners who could make a jump this season along with junior forward Chloe Hodges, who did not see game action due to injury last season.
The group is joined by a large freshman class that includes Grace O'Neill (Archbishop Carroll), Jennifer Martin, Kylie Lavelle, Jalyn McNeill and Moriah Murray.
Drexel WBB Non-Conference Schedule
Thurs., Nov. 10 vs. Rider
Tues., Nov. 15 at La Salle
Sat., Nov. 19 vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore
Tues., Nov. 22 vs. Lehigh
Sat., Nov. 26 at Buffalo
Wed., Nov. 30 at Longwood
Sun., Dec. 4 at Saint Joseph's
Sun., Dec. 11 at Yale
Tues., Dec. 13 at Dartmouth
Sun., Dec. 18 vs. Penn State
Wed., Dec. 21 vs. Delaware State
Drexel WBB CAA Schedule
Thurs., Dec. 29 at UNC-Wilmington
Sun., Jan. 1 vs. Towson
Fri., Jan. 6 vs. Delaware
Sun., Jan. 8 vs. Stony Brook
Fri., Jan. 13 at Hampton
Sun., Jan. 15 at William & Mary
Sun., Jan. 22 at Towson
Fri., Jan. 27 vs. Hofstra
Sun., Jan. 29 vs. Elon
Fri., Feb. 3 at Northeastern
Sun., Feb. 5 at Stony Brook
Fri., Feb. 10 vs. College of Charleston
Sun., Feb. 12 at Monmouth
Fri., Feb 17 vs. Northeastern
Sun., Feb. 19 at Delaware
Fri., Feb. 24 at Hofstra
Sun., Feb. 26 vs. William & Mary
Sat., March 4 vs. North Carolina A&T
Wed., March 8 CAA Championship (Towson, Md.)
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