Bucknell University
24-10,12-6Patriot
Drexel
28-5,16-2CAA
Drexel Rallies Past Bucknell 61-58 in WNIT Second Round
3/21/2022 7:59:00 PM | Women's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Keishana Washington scored all 17 of her points in the last eight minutes, including the go-ahead free throws with 33 seconds left, to help Drexel to a come-from-behind 61-58 win over visiting Bucknell on Monday night in the second round of the WNIT.
Cecelia Collins scored a career-high 23 points and Emma Shaffer had another double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Bison, who saw a sensational season end with a 24-10 record.
Drexel overcame a 17-point deficit with 7:56 remaining, taking a 57-56 lead on a put-back by Jasmine Valentine. Shaffer swished a jumper from the top of the key with 36 seconds left to put the Bison back in front, but a blocking foul on the perimeter sent Washington to the line. She made both to give the Dragons (28-5) the lead.
Collins' 3-point attempt was off the mark, then Washington hit two more free throws to make it a three-point game with nine seconds left. Bucknell called timeout to advance the ball, but had one 3-point try blocked and another hit off the front of the rim as time expired.
Bucknell outscored Drexel 21-4 in the third quarter and led 43-30 after three. The Bison extended that margin to 17 at 47-30 on a Marly Walls jumper with 7:56 to go, but the Dragons rallied behind a 31-point fourth period.
Joining Collins and Shaffer in double figures was senior Taylor O'Brien, who posted 11 points, five rebounds and an assist before fouling out of the game with 3:24 to go in the fourth quarter. Walls finished with a game-high six assists and grabbed seven rebounds.
The first quarter saw Bucknell shoot 63.6 percent (7-of-11), giving way to a 14-12 Bison lead after 10 minutes. Drexel knocked down just 27.8 percent (5-of-18) of its shots, but the Bison were unable to pull away further as a result of seven turnovers and a pair of Drexel 3-pointers.
Bucknell held onto the lead for five more minutes in the second quarter before Drexel's Hannah Nihill hit her third triple of the half to put the Dragons up 20-19. It was the fourth lead change of the half, and Drexel ended the second on a small 7-2 run to carry a 26-22 advantage into the locker rooms.
The Bison were electric coming out of halftime. Isabella King knocked down a 3-pointer 56 seconds into the third quarter, which sparked a 16-2 run that last almost eight and a half minutes and put Bucknell up by double digits (38-28). The Bison would hold onto the lead until the final minute of the game.
Bucknell shot 57.1 percent (8-of-14) and went 3-for-4 from beyond the arc in the third quarter, while Drexel was limited to just 2-of-11. A Collins 3-pointer with 29 second left put Bucknell up 43-30 heading into the final 10 minutes.
Bucknell scored the first five points of the fourth as well to get the lead to 17, but the Dragons responded with a 10-2 run to get back within single digits.
Bucknell got the lead back up to 13 following four straight points by Collins, but another 8-0 Drexel run cut it five at 53-48 with 3:35 remaining. The Dragons outscored Bucknell 10-2 over the final 10 minutes.
The Bison went 0-for-5 from 3-point range in the fourth quarter and converted just three of their eight free throw attempts. Drexel went 9-of-19 (47.4%) from the field in the fourth quarter and 12-of-13 from the foul line.
Collins' 23 points came on 10-of-14 shooting. Shaffer was 6-of-12, and O'Brien was 4-of-7.
2021 Bucknell graduate Tessa Brugler finished the game with five points, seven rebounds and a pair of blocks for the Dragons.
Drexel advances to the final 16 to face the winner of Seton Hall-VCU.
