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Drexel had a chance to pull off a huge win tonight against Northeastern even without their top scorer. Instead they're walking away from yet another disappointing loss in what has turned into a terrible season for the Dragons.
With less than six seconds remaining in overtime, Drexel had one final chance to tie the game and force another bonus period of play, just as Northeastern's Quincy Ford had at the end of regulation with 1.8 seconds left. They were down by three and had an inbounds pass to try and find an open 3-point attempt.
So, in keeping with this year's theme, Kazembe Abif launched the ball all the way across the end line on the other side of the court and out of bounds, ruining any chances the Dragons had of winning the game.
Thus is the 2012-13 Drexel basketball season rolled into a single play.
On a night when the Dragons were forced to play without top scorer Damion Lee, out with a knee injury, the team might have played its best game of the year on the defensive end.
They limited the Huskies to 38 percent shooting, including keeping Northeastern's two best scorers, Jonathan Lee and Joel Smith, to 3 of 16 shooting and just 16 total points.
It sounded like a recipe for success for the Dragons, and it almost was. The only problem was... Northeastern played great defense as well. They held Drexel to an even less impressive 36.4 percent from the field which is why, despite their offensive shortcomings, the Huskies still had a chance to force OT.
That's when Quincy Ford came galloping in to complete his savior act for his team, burying an off-balance 3-pointer with just 1.8 seconds to force OT. The Huskies then started the bonus period with four straight, and Drexel never fully recovered.
The Dragons now sit at 5-10 (1-2), and their season, for all intents and purposes, is cooked. This was their big shot to rekindle the fire. Without their top scorer, they played intense defense all game, limited the other team's best players, and held a lead with under five seconds to go.
Frantz Massenat dropped in 19 points. Tavon Allen contributed 15 of his own alongside eight rebounds in lieu of the injured of Lee.
And yet, as they've proved all season, you should never underestimate the Dragons' ability to lose games.
Northeastern, on the other hand, has now won three in a row to start their conference play and are above .500 for the first time since November 28. Things are looking very, very good for the 8-7 Huskies as they look to continue their CAA dominance on Saturday on the road against Towson.