M. Hoops | Numbers misleading for 'D' at DAC

The Dragons weren't more talented, more athletic or more prepared than Penn in their 66-64 home win at the Daskalakis Athletic Center yesterday.

No, the difference came down to defensive intensity - Drexel had it, and Penn didn't.

"Just disappointed in our performance tonight," senior guard Kevin Egee said. "Especially - this is a big game for us. It's a Philly rivalry game. . We had to come out and throw the first punch, and I felt like we didn't. We didn't match their toughness, their intensity."

The contest was a contrast in styles, featuring Quakers coach Glen Miller's I-dare-you-to-shoot zone against Drexel coach Bruiser Flint's appropriately physical man-to-man.

And while Miller seemed content with his defense holding the Dragons to 37-percent shooting, that number is more a testament to their poor shooting than it is an early indicator of a vastly improved Quakers defense.

As usual, the Red and Blue ran a zone for much of the game. In the first half, the rotations were too slow when Drexel swung the ball around the arc. Dragons guards Gerald Colds, Scott Rodgers, Jamie Harris and Tramayne Hawthorne all found themselves open downtown more than a handful of times; the score was close only because they bricked nine of their 13 long-distance attempts.

On the other hand, Penn was lucky just to be getting off clean shots, never mind hitting them. Drexel's perimeter 'D' absolutely manhandled Penn's guards, forcing them to create difficult shots off spins and dribble penetration.

Tyler Bernardini, the Quakers' top scorer and best shooter, was having trouble getting free off the ball and only attempted four shots in the first half. In the second, Bernardini started to force up bad shots, finishing the game 4-for-15 from the field.

"The way they played him is what bothers him the most," Miller said. "We needed to adjust to the physicality of the game, and I didn't think we stepped up to the plate, from a physical standpoint."

In the second half, the Quakers came out with more intensity, but it was poorly focused. Because of Drexel's wayward shots in the first half, Miller stuck with his modified zone and had Egee trail the guards running baseline to prevent open looks from the corner.

Penn's rotations were also quicker, but the Dragons used that to their advantage: Realizing that they weren't knocking down their shots, Drexel's outside shooters began pump-faking defenders for the dribble-drive, and the Quakers bit.

Looking at the box score, it seemed as if it worked, as Drexel attempted six fewer threes and nine fewer shots in the second half. But the Dragons were just getting to the line more often as a result of that penetration.

In the end, it was those extra free throws and shots that gave Drexel its two-point margin. The Dragons were just as bad as Penn from the line and from the field. They just had more chances.

"A big loose ball here, or a big rebound there," Miller sighed. "Those are the plays that you have to make to win these types of games. And we didn't make them. Drexel did."

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