Nov. 16, 2008
Box
Score
WASHINGTON - Michelle Kirk's 20
points led the American University women's basketball team to a
74-65 non-conference win over Drexel in its home opener at Bender
Arena on Sunday. The Eagles improve to 2-0 in the early season,
while Drexel is now 0-1.
Drexel jumped out to a 16-11 lead with 11:03 remaining in the
first half, led by three Jasmina Rosseel three-point baskets.
American got its offense going soon after, embarking on a 8-0 run
to pull ahead, 19-16 on baskets by Raven Harris, Kirk
and Talicia
Jackson. The Eagles would not trail again the remainder of the
game.
With the Eagles leading 25-21 with just under four minutes to
play, Ebony
Edwards drained a three from the right of the basket followed
by a Liz Leer
hook to extend the advantage to nine. The American defense held
Drexel scoreless for the next three minutes and Harris hit the back
end of a pair of free throws and Kirk hit a three-point basket to
give the Eagles a 35-21 lead. The Dragons scored a basket with four
seconds left to close the deficit, but Nicole Ryan drained a
three at the buzzer to give American a 15-point, 38-23 lead going
into the half.
Drexel went on a 7-2 run to open the second half, pulling within
10 points, 40-30 and continued to chip away at the AU lead. Marisa
Crane pulled the Dragons within four, 48-44, on her first basket of
the day with 10 minutes left in the game and Gabriela Marginean hit
a pull up jumper on the ensuing possession to make it 48-46. Kirk
hit a put-back following a Ryan miss and was fouled on the play.
She hit the foul shot then made a steal on the ensuing Drexel
possession and took it in the for the lay-in to put AU up seven,
53-46, with 9:07 to play.
American rebuilt a 12-point lead and with 6:04 left Harris got
fouled and hit both shots from the line to give the Eagles a 64-50
advantage. Marginean and Leer traded a pair of baskets late in the
second half and AU had a 10-point, 70-60, lead to work with over
the final 1:08 and forced Drexel to foul the rest of the way out.
Pam
Stanfield missed a pair of free throws but picked up a big
defensive rebound at the other end of the court and dished off an
assist to Ryan to all but seal the game for the Eagles, putting
them up 72-60 with 34.8 seconds to go. Drexel hit two free throws
and immediately sent Stanfield back to the stripe where she hit
one-of-two. Marginean hit a three to pull the Dragons within eight,
73-65, with 15 seconds to play and fouled Jackson, who also hit
one-of two and American took the 74-65 win.
""We take pride in defending our home court and I'm very proud
of our effort and energy as a team today," said AU head coach Matt Corkery.
"I think we controlled the tempo of the game and we again got
contributions from a lot of players."
Kirk led the Eagles in scoring with 20 points on 9-13 from the
field and added two assists and three steals. Leer finished with 13
points four rebounds and two blocks, while Ryan rounded out the
double-digit scorers for AU with 11 points. Jackson picked up a
game-high seven rebounds to add to her seven points, three assists
and two steals. Stanfield had a game-high eight assists.
Marginean led all scorers with 31 points for Drexel.
American will host local rival Howard on Wednesday at Bender
Arena. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
