Drexel women’s basketball’s 75-65 win over Monmouth is just the latest piece of evidence in its case as Coastal Athletic Association title favorites. The Dragons put together a wire-to-wire victory, their fifth in a row, against the fifth-place Hawks that showcased many of the ways they’ve improved.
Drexel’s 75 points were the most it had scored in regulation this season. Five Dragons scored in double figures. It was the first time that had happened since January 2020 and helped take the offensive burden off leading scorer Amaris Baker.
Chloe Hodges continued her stretch of impressive play with 13 points and eight assists. Freshman forward Iriona Gravely stepped in to provide eight points and four rebounds with backup center Molly Lavin sidelined. Laine McGurk, who averages 4.3 points off the bench, exploded for 14 points in 20 minutes. Baker had 14 points and five rebounds, while Cara McCormack and Deja Evans added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Damaris Rodriguez, a fifth-year guard who spent her first four seasons at Division III New Jersey City University, scored a game-high 25 points for Monmouth (13-13, 8-7 CAA).
It was a 10-point game, but the game felt comfortable for the Dragons (16-9, 12-3) because of the cushion they gave themselves in the first half. Drexel led, 40-25, and had three scorers with eight or more points at halftime. The Dragons played aggressive offense that was designed to make the Hawks pay for focusing solely on Baker.
“Our mindset coming in and part of our game plan was to put our foot on the pedal,” head coach Amy Mallon said. “Last time we played them, we started slow, and I think we needed to set the tone early with the pace and a lot of it was just making hard cuts and doing those little things right from the beginning that would force them to guard all five people on the floor. I thought we did a tremendous job in the first quarter, and it really set the tone from the game.”
» READ MORE: How Drexel has remained a winning force in women’s hoops
With Mallon utilizing a short bench in most games, the emergence of McGurk as not only a scorer, but a Swiss army knife who can play nearly any position, has helped Drexel’s depth.
“My role coming in off the bench is providing that spark and energy, whether it be scoring or defense or rebounding,” McGurk said. “This year, a new challenge for me has been trying to learn those new positions. Last year, going from being very one-dimensional and now learning how to handle the ball and play anything 1 through 4. That’s what this team needs, so whatever I can bring on any given day within those four spots, I understand what I need to do.”
Monmouth ratcheted up the pressure on defense in the second half, but Drexel remained poised throughout. With this win, the Dragons officially claimed a top-four seed in the CAA tournament. Currently sitting in second place, Drexel has a one-game lead over third-place College of Charleston.
Up next
The Dragons celebrate Amaris Baker, Chloe Hodges, and Cara McCormack on Sunday’s senior day against Campbell (10-5, 17-10) in the DAC. The game tips off at 2 p.m. and can be watched on NBC Sports Philadelphia or FloSports.