One Moore possession: Drexel guard puts back miss to put away Winthrop

 

Drexel guard Justin Moore hit the game -winner Saturday against Winthrop.  (Photo:  Drexel University Athletics)

ROCK HILL, S.C. – It was a cold and dreary Saturday afternoon outside. Drexel’s Justin Moore shook off the cold and heated up at the perfect time.

Moore put back his own missed try with 2.1 seconds remaining in the game, giving Drexel both its largest lead of the day and the only one it would need. Drexel shook off an early 12-point deficit and conquered the Eagles, claiming a 74-72 decision before an announced crowd of 2,501 in Winthrop Coliseum.

Winthrop (1-2) came out as the aggressor, roaring out to a 10-2 lead and stretching that lead to double digits on a Kelton Talford free throw nine minutes into the contest. The lead remained at or near double digits until the five-minute mark. Drexel (1-1) began to chip away, starting with a Yame Butler layup and back-to-back buckets from Lucas Monroe. Monroe then converted four straight free throws to key a 5-0 run that closed the half and reduced the Eagles’ advantage to just 33-29 at the interval.

K.J. Doucet started the second half for Winthrop by knocking down a triple, which gave the Eagles a seven-point advantage they would match just once more the rest of the game. Drexel then tore off a 13-5 stretch that gave the Dragons their first lead of the night. Lamar Oden, Jr. converted an and-one to make the score 42-41 with 14:26 remaining.

After the sides traded scores for nearly seven minutes, Winthrop got five Kasen Harrison points to guide a 7-0 Eagle run that gave Winthrop a 61-54 margin with 6:34 to play. Drexel countered with six points in a row and sliced the lead to one. Winthrop would lead by as many as four with 3:03 to play, before Amani Williams and Oden knocked down four free throws to level the score.

The score remained tied with a minute left when Winthrop’s Kasen Harrison hit a runner in the lane to give the Eagles a 72-70 lead. Harrison’s free throw did not find the mark, however, and Drexel hauled in the board. Williams would then connect on a bucket on the other end of the floor, again knotting the score.

Winthrop took over and attempted to take a late lead, with Harrison drawing a foul from Moore. Harrison missed the first free throw, leading Drexel’s Zach Spiker to take a 30-second time out. The stoppage benefited the Dragons, as Harrison also could not convert the second attempt, giving Drexel one final possession to try to win the game.

Moore took a pass in the backcourt, then slowly dribbled up the left side of the court. Moore then crossed over and attacked the basket. His first attempt at a runner drew iron, but Moore seized the rebound and put back the try to give Drexel the lead with 2.1 seconds left after a time adjustment. Winthrop had one more look, but the errant shot was ruled to have come after time elapsed.

Drexel placed four scorers in double figures. Williams notched a double-double, tallying 18 points and snaring 11 boards. Williams also hit 8-of-10 tries from the charity stripe and blocked two shots. Butler added 15 on 6-of-11 shooting. Oden scored 13 and Monroe finished with 10 points and six caroms. Drexel shot 44.1 percent (26-for-59) on the night, including a blistering 16-for-27 (59.3 percent) in the second 20. The Dragons hit 17-of-22 (77.3 percent) from the line.

Three Eagles finished with double digits. Harrison scored 19 and secured five boards, including 8-of-13 from the line. Kelton Talford booked 16 and grabbed three rebounds, while Nick Johnson finished with 14 points and seven rebounds. Winthrop hit 22-of-47 tries (46.8 percent) from the field but just 25-of-36 (69.4 percent) of its free throw tries. The Eagles connected on just 3-of-13 from distance.

Drexel returns to Philadelphia to take on cross-town rival Temple Tuesday night. Tip time from the Daskalakis Athletic Center is set for 7:00 (Eastern), with streaming coverage on FloHoops. Winthrop opens a three-game MTE (multi-team event) at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center Friday afternoon against Holy Cross. Tip time is set for 5:00 Eastern, with coverage on ESPN+.

DREXEL 74, WINTHROP 72

DREXEL (1-1)

Williams 5-10 8-10 18, Oden, Jr. 4-8 3-3 13, Moore 4-11 1-2 9, House 1-4 0-0 3, Butler 6-11 1-2 15, Bergens 0-2 0-0 0, Turner 2-3 0-0 4, Okros 1-4 0-1 2, Monroe 3-4 4-4 10, MaGee 0-1 0-0 0, Hargrove 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-59 17-22 74.

WINTHROP (1-2)

Talford 6-9 4-6 16, Doucet 3-8 2-2 9, Claxton 0-1 3-4 3, Johnson 4-11 6-8 14, Harrison 5-8 8-13 19, McMahon 1-4 2-3 5, Timmerman 2-4 0-0 4, McKelvy 0-0 0-0 0, Diallo 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 22-47 25-36 72.

Halftime:  Winthrop 33-29. 3-Point goals:  Drexel 5-20 (Oden, Jr. 2-5, Moore 0-1, House 1-4, Butler 2-6, Okros 0-3, MaGee 0-1), Winthrop 3-13 (Doucet 1-4, Claxton 0-1, Johnson 0-4, Harrison 1-2, McMahon 1-1, Diallo 0-1). Fouled out:  Butler (DREX), Monroe (DREX), Doucet (WU), Timmerman (WU). Rebounds:  Drexel 33 (Williams 11), Winthrop 30 (Johnson 7). Assists:  Drexel 11 (Moore 4), Winthrop 5 (Doucet 3). Total fouls:  Drexel 28, Winthrop 19. Technicals:  NA.

Points off turnovers:  Drexel 14, Winthrop 5.  Points in the paint:  Drexel 42, Winthrop 38.  Second-chance points:  Drexel 17, Winthrop 15.  Fast-break points:  Drexel 11, Winthrop 2.  Bench points:  Drexel 16, Winthrop 11.