The Drexel Dragons (28-10) defeated the Utah Utes, 46-43, in a tough defensive battle on Saturday afternoon to claim the Women’s National Invitation Tournament championship. Senior guard Hollie Mershon had 12 of her 14 points in the second half and none bigger than a bucket inside the lane with 21 seconds remaining to give Drexel a 44-43 lead that the Dragons would ultimately never relinquish.
While Mershon struggled in the first half, fellow senior Taylor Wootton thrived, scoring 12 of her team-high 16 points before intermission. Wootton scored the first seven points of the game for Dragons and when it was all said and done, she became the 21st player in Drexel history to surpass the 1,000-point mark.
The Utes led by as many as eight points in the first half but Drexel got to within three points, 24-21, at the break despite only two points from Mershon. Utah came out on a 7-3 run to start the second half and led 31-24.
But the Dragons then went on a run of their own, outscoring the Utes 14-2 to grab a 38-33 lead. After senior guard Renee Johnson-Allen hit a layup on a great pass from Mershon, junior guard/forward Fiona Flanagan drilled a three from the right wing to give the Dragons their first lead of the game at 36-33 about midway through the second half.
Later in the half, with Drexel leading 42-37, Utah got back-to-back three-pointers from Cheyenne Wilson and Iwalani Rodrigues to put the Utes up one point, 43-42, with just over three minutes remaining.
The next two minutes were intense but neither team could score on some good opportunities. After a Utah three attempt by Rachel Messer went halfway down and rattled out, Mershon drove the lane on the next possession, pumped the brakes, let the defenders fly by on a shot fake, and put the ball in the bucket to give her team the lead.
On Utah’s next possession, an errant pass went backcourt giving the Dragons the basketball with just over 10 seconds to play. Mershon was immediately fouled on the inbounds pass and nailed both free throws to put Drexel up three.
With about two-and-a-half seconds to go, Utah inbounded side out on their own side of the court and star forward Michelle Plouffe had an open look from three. When it sailed just right and hit the side of the rim, the buzzer sounded and the fans at the Daskalakis Athletic Center stormed the court.
Mershon and Wootton made the WNIT All-Tournament team, with Mershon grabbing the MVP honors. This was not only Drexel’s first national basketball championship but it was also the first time a team from the Colonial Athletic Association won the WNIT.
This was a magical run for head coach Denise Dillon and her Drexel Dragons squad that ended with a well-deserved championship. Mershon, Wootton and Johnson-Allen all finish their great Drexel careers on a high note and can look back knowing that this team’s legacy will live on forever at Drexel University.
Comments