Monday, November 16, 2009

Tuesday Breakfast Basketball - Drexel @ Niagara



Drexel is headed north tomorrow morning for an ESPN televised breakfast time match-up with Niagara. This is the second year in a row that Drexel is playing an AM game as part of ESPN's College Basketball Marathon (last season, Drexel beat Penn 66-64 in a sloppy 10am matchup).


Niagara (0-1), who opened their season on Friday night with a loss to Auburn, have a whole lot of Philadelphia connections which will make this game pretty interesting for local basketball fans.


The local player that most will remember is Cardinal Dougherty product and Villanova transfer Bilal Benn. Benn transferred from 'Nova after the 06'-'07 season (most likely due to lack of playing time) and went on to be named 1st Team All-MAAC in his junior season last year. In that season, Benn was the only player in the nation with at least 13 ppg, 9 rpg, 3 apg and 2 spg.


Other local players for Niagara are senior Tyrone Lewis (Truman HS in Levittown), sophomore Kashief Edwards (Imhotep Charter in North Philadelphia) and freshman Scooter Gillette (Neumann-Goretti).


Drexel is coming off a tough opening loss against St. Joe's where they couldn't make a basket in the first half, but still led for most of the second half until St. Joe's capped off a late run with a 3pt basket by Iris Hilliard to send the game into overtime. St. Joe's dominated the OT period to win the game 77-67.


Jamie Harris dropped 20 pts and unexpected starter (at least unexpected to me) Derrick Thomas had 14 pts (four 3s).


Prediction: Home-court advantage will prove to be even more critical in an 8am game and Niagara's experience will prove to be too much for Drexel. Niagara wins 71-65.


10 comments:

  1. Live Blog at 8AM!!!

    Only half kidding...

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  2. I say Drexel's 1st half shots fall this time and pull this one out 62-56.

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  3. BB2N? Baseball tonight?

    Drexel can't make shots around the basket. Niagara up 60-51 with 7:30 left in the 2nd half.

    Bilal Benn has 15 pts and 11 rbs already. I can't believe he's this good. 'Nova is a good squad but this kid should've been able to contribute off the bench there.

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  4. Drexel still down 8 with under 3 minutes left.

    (this is my pathetic attempt at a Drexel LiveBlog)

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  5. 3 pointer by Gerald Colds. Drexel within 4

    68-64

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  6. Colds hits another 3.

    Niagara up 72-69 with ball with 26 seconds left.

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  7. I couldn't get on this morning. Did they look bad?

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