The Guru WNIT Local Report: On the Closing Pages of a Season Too Good to End Drexel Stays Alive With Huge Rally on Bucknell to Head to the Other Sweet Sixteen

Guru’s note: Being out of pocket, portions of this report are drawn for quotes on colleagues on the scene

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

Tucked away on sabbatical in Canada last weekend, former Drexel athletic director Eric Zillmer was beaming over the season’s success of his two women’s basketball hires, originally Denise Dillon now at her alma mater Villanova and her successor Amy Mallon and hopeful both could make statements in the NCAA and WNIT tournaments about to get under way.

The duo, once part of the same staff with the Dragons, are great friends and on nights both had games there was always immediately touching base with the other once their event would be done.

On Monday night, it seemed it would be wait till next year for all concerned with third-seeded Michigan home in Ann Arbor putting the hammer down on the 11th-seeded Wildcats while back in West Philadelphia in the Daskalakis Athletic Center, Drexel was buried under a 17-point deficit to Bucknell 47-30 with eight minutes left to play in round two of the WNIT.

Suddenly came a great stirring and when the horn sounded the Dragons had breathed fire to a 61-58 win over the Bisons of the Patriot League to remain alive and make their first Sweet Sixteen round of the WNIT since 2013.

“Believe it or not, in the locker room I was a little speechless, probably a surprise to my team,”Mallon said once the smoke cleared from what just had occurred. “I’m just so proud of this team.

“Look at the situation we were just in. This is one of the best games I’ve ever seen in a comeback. The ability to do that just shows the toughness we have as a group. When you play Drexel teams you’re never safe. It doesn’t matter. You can be up 15 knowing we are going to fight till the end. We did that today and put ourselves in position to win the game.”

As a result Drexel (28-5, 16-2 Colonial Athletic Association ) heads for the third round  at 7 p.m.Thursday night, leaving the neighborhood this time to drop in on Seton Hall of the Big East in Walsh Gym in South Orange, N.J., after the Pirates (21-12) outlasted the Atlantic 10’s VCI 70-67.

 Overcoming a double double of 27 points and 14 rebounds from Taya Robinson of the Rams (16-12)  and 12 points from Sarah Te-Biasu, Seton Hall answered with 19 points from Sydney Cooks, 22 from Lauren Park-Lane, 13 from Andra Espinoza-Hunter, and 11 rebounds from Mya Bembry.

That Bucknell  (24-10, 12-6 Patriot League) could challenge Drexel was no stunner, playing a strong non-conference schedule and involved in a five-way dogfight in the Patriot with Holy Cross, ultimate league tourney champ American, who fell to Michigan in the first round of the NCAA,  Boston U., and Lehigh.

And challenge the Bisons did as guard Cecelia Collins had 23 points, Emma Shaffer had a double double of 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Taylor O’Brien scored 11.

But with Drexel it’s never too late, even if the clock says it’s getting there and does so on a night in which Tessa Brugler, who gave the Dragons so much after transferring from Bucknell, could only manage five points with her seven rebounds.

However, once the rally began, Keishana Washington, who was still scoreless on the night with 5 minutes, 40 seconds left, poured all 17 of her points, just short of the 10 that came elsewhere in the final 27 of the game.

“I think being down 17, the only thing you can do is be in attack mode,” Washington said. “This team has been down before this season and we know what it takes to fight and push to come back and win the game. Shoot the ball and make the shot, that was my mentality.”

Hannah Nihill collected 18 points and had four steals, while Jasmine Valentine picked up seven points in the final period.

“She came into the game and got some crucial buckets and rebounds for us,” Mallon said of Valentine’s role. “She did a tremendous job. Sixteen minutes, seven points, five rebounds, all in key moments for us.”

In the first half, Mariah Leonard collected 10 of 11 points.

Drexel rallied on the boards in the final period after being down over the first three minus 11, forging up front 14-9. 

In the final  period, 

As the game near the final moments, Washington had given her team the lead and a pair of free throws with nine seconds left became the game’s final points.

Brugler blocked a shot on her former team on the next possession, 

The last gasp came from Bucknell’s Mary Walls, an attempt to tie the game from deep but it went off the rim.

In the WNIT, other teams advancing are Boston College won big at home 94-68 over Quinnipiac while Sunday’s 62-59 win by Columbia at Old Dominion send the Lions of the Ivy League to host  BC Thursday at 7 p.m.

Middle Tennessee Thursday at 7:30 p.m. hosts Vanderbilt after the Commodores beat Liberty 71-45; and MTSU topped Wake Forest, 67-5e5.

Alabama won at Tulane 81-77 and will host Houston which beat Tennessee Tech 63-55 on Sunday.

Toledo beat visiting Kent State 79-59 and will visit Marquette which beat Purdue 77-62.

Drake beat Northern Iowa 62-55 and will visit South Dakota State  which eliminated Minnesota 78-57.

New Mexico will visit Oregon State after the former on Sunday beat San Diego 73-69 while Oregon State also on Sunday beat Portland 74-56.

UCLA on Sunday beat Air Force 61-45 and will play Wyoming on the road after Wyoming beat Tulsa 97=90 in triple overtime.

And that is the WNIT report.