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Winning moment for Penn juniors

[WEBLEDE]They win first Big 5 game in 3 years at school.

After pulling down a key rebound  with seconds left in the
game, Penn's Greg Louis (23) reacts after being fouled by St. Joseph's
Brendan Casper (20). (Curt Hudson/Staff Photographer)
After pulling down a key rebound with seconds left in the game, Penn's Greg Louis (23) reacts after being fouled by St. Joseph's Brendan Casper (20). (Curt Hudson/Staff Photographer)Read more

PENN'S JUNIORS had never won a Big 5 game. The majority of the losses had not been close. If they were going to get one before their senior years, they had to beat Saint Joseph's Saturday night at the Palestra.

Juniors Tony Hicks and Darien Nelson-Henry can now head into the Ivy League season with smiles and a City Series win after holding off the Hawks, 56-52.

Penn (5-10, 1-3 Big 5) did not trail for the game's final 25 minutes, but did give up most of a 46-36 lead with 5 minutes left. They made just enough free throws to hang on as Hicks had 15 points and Nelson-Henry 14.

The Quakers won despite committing another 19 turnovers, a 2 1/2-year problem that does not go away. Penn was 329th in most turnovers in 2012-13, 343rd last season and 347th (out of 351 teams) this season, turning it over on 26 percent of all possessions. Penn shot a solid 46.3 percent, but got off only 41 shots.

The Hawks (8-10, 1-2) have their own issues, but DeAndre' Bembry is not one of them. The sophomore star scored 25 points. He shot 10-for-22. His teammates shot 10-for-37. SJU was 5-for-24 from the arc. The Hawks went the last 7 1/2 minutes of the first half without scoring, going 0-for-10.

Penn is now looking at 13 Ivy games starting Friday night at the Palestra against Dartmouth and Saturday against defending champ Harvard. SJU is looking at a final Big 5 game tomorrow night at La Salle.

Lee does it for Drexel

Drexel led for exactly 42 seconds against College of Charleston at the DAC. The Dragons shot 34 percent. They had Damion Lee. The redshirt junior from Baltimore drilled a game-winning three with 17 seconds left to give the Dragons (5-14, 3-5 CAA) a 53-51 win.

The game "featured" two of the slower-paced teams in the country. Drexel averages 61.6 possessions per game, C of C 60.8. They did not disappoint as the game had just 48 possessions.

The Dragons did not make many shots, but they had just five turnovers. Lee got enough shots to get 21 points and enough space to get off the game-winner.

Charleston (6-15, 1-7) somehow lost despite shooting an incredible 9-for-13 from the arc. The problem was the Cougars were only 10-for-31 from inside the arc and they did not have Lee.

The Dragons got 14 points from Tavon Allen and nine of their 15 field goals were also from three, including that final one by Damion Lee.