UNCW ADVANCES TO SEMIFINALS FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 2002 WITH 63-51 WIN OVER DREXEL
BOXSCORE
UPPER MARLBORO, Md. (March 11, 2011) - Third-seeded UNC Wilmington closed the game on a 16-4 run and defeated sixth-seeded Drexel, 63-51, in the final quarterfinal contest of the Virginia 529 College Savings Plan CAA Women's Basketball Championship Friday night at The Show Place Arena.
UNCW (23-7), which advanced to the CAA semifinals for the first time since 2002, got a career high-tying 21 points, four assists and four steals from freshman guard Alisha Andrews. Junior Kristen Hanzer added 13 points, backcourt mate Jessica Freeman scored 12 and senior center Martha White netted 10.
Junior forward Kamile Nacickaite was the only Drexel player in double figures with a game-high 22 points. Freshman Fiona Flanagan chipped in eight points in 19 minutes off the bench.
Drexel extended its four-point halftime lead to seven (33-26) early in the second period on a Nacickaite three-pointer, but UNCW battled back to tie the contest at 36-36 with 13 minutes to go as Hanzer scored seven points in a 10-3 Seahawks' run.
Neither team led by more than two over the next six minutes and the game was still tied at 47-47 with under seven minutes to go when UNCW scored nine straight points to take control of the contest. White converted an offensive rebound that put the Seahawks ahead 50-47 and Andrews followed with her fifth three-pointer of the game from the left corner to increase the margin to six with 5:35 remaining.
On the ensuing possession, UNCW's Brittany Blackwell made a steal and fed a streaking Andrews for a layup that put the Seahawks on top 55-47. Drexel, which went scoreless for over five minutes down the stretch, never got closer than six points the rest of the way.
UNCW jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the opening five minutes as White and Freeman scored four points apiece. Drexel was still trailing by seven when it reeled off 12 straight points, capped by back-to-back treys from sophomore Hollie Mershon and Nacickaite, to grab an 18-13 advantage with 7:06 left in the period.
The Seahawks answered back as Andrews, the CAA Rookie of the Year, drained back-to-back three-pointers from the top of the key to put UNCW back ahead, 19-18, with 4:15 to go. The Dragons regained the lead with consecutive three-pointers from Nacickaite and Flanagan and were on top 28-24 at halftime.
UNCW shot just 38% (19-50) from the floor, but hit eight three-pointers and connected on 17-of-21 from the free throw line. The Seahawks also out-rebounded the Dragons 36-26 and forced 18 turnovers. Drexel made 38.6% of its shots from the floor, with nearly half of its field goals coming on 8-of-18 three-point shooting.
UNCW will face seventh-seeded Delaware in the second semifinal game at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.