Drexel falls in first round of Charleston Classic
Miami's defense proves too much for Dragons to overcome.
CHARLESTON, S.C. - One look at the box score told Drexel coach Bruiser Flint all he needed to know about the Dragons' 66-46 loss to Miami in the first round of the Charleston Classic yesterday.
Drexel's leading scorer was Tavon Allen, who had 13 points. But he shot just 4-for-17 to them.
Damion Lee, who is averaging a team-high 14.7 points, scored eight in the first half and was limited to no shots and one free throw in the final 20 minutes.
"There are other guys on this team that have got to make plays," Flint said.
Yesterday, no one stepped up.
The Hurricanes' defense pressured Drexel into bad shots and missed chances. Miami (3-0) closed the opening half on a 14-2 run. The Dragons managed only four foul shots in the final 10:45 of a first half in which they missed their last 11 shots.
Even so, Drexel (0-3) was within 28-20 at the break.
In the second half, Angel Rodriguez, who had 15 points for Miami, scored 10 straight during a 28-11 scoring run that sealed the win.
Drexel, which also got 12 points from Freddie Wilson, will play Southern Cal today, with the winner moving into Sunday's fifth-place game. Southern Cal lost to Akron, 66-46, yesterday.
Miami plays Akron today for a spot in Sunday's title game.