By Sean Kennedy
Yesterday’s Action
Drexel 85, Cleveland State 82 (3OT)
The Dragons are certainly developing a flair for the dramatic, as for the second straight game, Drexel needed three overtimes before coming out on top. Much like against Alabama, Drexel let an early double-digit lead evaporate in the second half, as some hot shooting from the Vikings (10-21 from three) got them back into the contest. Frantz Massanet played fairly well on the whole, with 21 points and 9 assists, but missed shots at the end of regulation and the first overtime, in addition to only making one of two free throws at the end of the second bonus frame, any of which would have won the game for the Dragons. Finally in the third overtime, he sank 2-2 at the line in the closing seconds to help ice the game.
Drexel overcame a poor shooting night of their own by dominating Cleveland State on the glass, led by Dartaye Ruffin, who finished with 15 points and tied a career-high with 14 rebounds. His 6 offensive rebounds were more than the 5 gathered by the entire Vikings team. Tavon Allen led the team with 23 points, but on just 6-21 shooting from the field. Drexel will remain at home to take on Tennessee State Saturday.
La Salle 75, Hartford 62
Needing a win to get back to .500 and right the ship following a couple of losses, the Hartford Hawks were just what the doctor ordered as the Explorers cruised to an easy victory. Coach John Giannini shook things up by bringing leading scorer Tyrone Garland off the bench, and the senior responded with a team-high 17 points on an efficient 5-10 outing from the field. La Salle took advantage of some sloppy play by the Hawks, as 18 Hartford turnovers were the difference-maker in this contest. La Salle will take on Stony Brook Saturday morning at Madison Square Garden as part of the MSG Holiday Festival.
Temple 77, Saint Joseph’s 69
In a close, back-and-forth affair, Temple prevailed in the latter minutes of the game to win this contest between former A-10 foes. St. Joe’s tied the game at 65 with 4 minutes remaining on a Langston Galloway three-pointer (team-high 24 points including 6-12 on threes), but the Hawks couldn’t build a lead over the next few possessions. Finally, Temple took advantage and scored 5 straight points to pull away for good.
Anthony Lee was big down the stretch for the Owls; he finished with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Will Cummings and Dalton Pepper paced Temple with 16 points apiece. Jimmy McDonnell received the start again for the Owls (who are now 3-0 when he starts), but the junior has still not scored a point since his freshman season. The buzz on twitter about his receiving playing time is pretty amusing. But anyway, these two teams both have very difficult opponents in their next contests Saturday, with Temple hosting Texas and the Hawks taking on Villanova.
Villanova 77, Pennsylvania 54
After defeating two top-25 teams down in the Bahamas, no one expected Villanova to struggle with Penn at the Pavilion, and no one ended up being surprised. Despite going the first 7 and a half minutes of the second half without scoring a point, the Wildcats were still never in danger of losing. Their trapping defense hounded the Quakers into an obscene 24 turnovers and the team as a whole finished with 10 made threes from behind the arc. Darrun Hilliard led the way with a game-high 19 points on 4-6 shooting from downtown. Daniel Ochefu didn’t start the game for academic reason but did come off the bench and play 12 minutes, so that will not presumably be an issue going forward.
Miles Jackson-Cartwright was the lone bright spot for the Quakers, tallying a team-high 17 points on 4-8 shooing from behind the arc, while also not recording a turnover when every other Penn starter had at least five. Having now lost two straight and four of five, Penn will look to get back on track Saturday at the Pavilion against Wagner. The Villanova steamroller makes another City 6 stop Saturday when the visit St. Joe’s.
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