William and Mary fans pack our DAC
Nathan Hemerly
Issue date: 1/20/06 Section: Sports
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Prior to his team's game against the Maryland Terrapins Jan. 11, Duke University's men's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski had all of his players sign the Blue Devil logo at half-court of Cameron Indoor Stadium. Their signatures were symbolic of a contract that vowed strict and desperate defense of Duke's home court advantage for the remainder of the season.
Drexel women's basketball coach Denise Dillon may want to steal Coach K's idea after the College of William and Mary Tribe hostilely took over the Daskalakis Athletic Center, Jan. 13. The Tribe played an inspired game in their 58-50 victory over Drexel.
Much of this inspiration probably came from the surprising turn-out of William and Mary fans. The Tribe bench was involved throughout the game, chanting "Defense!" during many possessions. A small group of girls spelled out "Kira" with their T-shirts in support of their friend Kira Kaylor. Kaylor, the Colonial Athletic Association's leading scorer and rebounder, backed up her gaudy season statistics with a 22-point and 13-rebound performance. She used her muscles to score inside and she showed excellent shooting touch by sinking two three-pointers in the game.
Drexel's version of an inside-outside threat, Catherine Scanlon, tried to keep pace with Kaylor early in the game. Scanlon scored six of Drexel's first seven points. The lead changed nine times in the opening 10 minutes, and the two teams appeared to be on course for a knock-down, drag-out game. Only Kaylor and the Tribe, however, would be landing punches for the remainder of the game, as they opened up a 17-12 lead that grew to 37-26 advantage by halftime.
Coach Dillon, most likely upset with her team's inability to match the emotion of the Tribe, kept her club in the locker room until just 40 seconds before the halftime clock expired. Narissa Suber responded for Drexel by flashing her improving ability to drive to the basket and draw contact. N. Suber finished with 19 points thanks to 8-11 shooting from the free throw line. Unfortunately, no other Dragons stepped up offensively. Starting Drexel forward Nicole Hester, the team's third-leading scorer, suffered through an 0-9 shooting performance and turned the ball over four times. The Tribe's Kaylor, on the other hand, was supported by Dani Kell (14 points) and Lizzie Schiel (10 points). William and Mary not only played with intensity; they also showed composure by calmly crushing any hint of a Drexel comeback.
Drexel is going to struggle in the CAA this season if they cannot get consistent contributions from everyone on the floor. Coach Dillon believes in the "Play as a team; win as a team" philosophy, and that simple statement provides most of the explanation for Drexel's 6-7 record. They must also match the intensity of their opponent, particularly at home. Improving these two areas can go a long way towards elevating the Dragons in the CAA standings.
Drexel women's basketball coach Denise Dillon may want to steal Coach K's idea after the College of William and Mary Tribe hostilely took over the Daskalakis Athletic Center, Jan. 13. The Tribe played an inspired game in their 58-50 victory over Drexel.
Much of this inspiration probably came from the surprising turn-out of William and Mary fans. The Tribe bench was involved throughout the game, chanting "Defense!" during many possessions. A small group of girls spelled out "Kira" with their T-shirts in support of their friend Kira Kaylor. Kaylor, the Colonial Athletic Association's leading scorer and rebounder, backed up her gaudy season statistics with a 22-point and 13-rebound performance. She used her muscles to score inside and she showed excellent shooting touch by sinking two three-pointers in the game.
Drexel's version of an inside-outside threat, Catherine Scanlon, tried to keep pace with Kaylor early in the game. Scanlon scored six of Drexel's first seven points. The lead changed nine times in the opening 10 minutes, and the two teams appeared to be on course for a knock-down, drag-out game. Only Kaylor and the Tribe, however, would be landing punches for the remainder of the game, as they opened up a 17-12 lead that grew to 37-26 advantage by halftime.
Coach Dillon, most likely upset with her team's inability to match the emotion of the Tribe, kept her club in the locker room until just 40 seconds before the halftime clock expired. Narissa Suber responded for Drexel by flashing her improving ability to drive to the basket and draw contact. N. Suber finished with 19 points thanks to 8-11 shooting from the free throw line. Unfortunately, no other Dragons stepped up offensively. Starting Drexel forward Nicole Hester, the team's third-leading scorer, suffered through an 0-9 shooting performance and turned the ball over four times. The Tribe's Kaylor, on the other hand, was supported by Dani Kell (14 points) and Lizzie Schiel (10 points). William and Mary not only played with intensity; they also showed composure by calmly crushing any hint of a Drexel comeback.
Drexel is going to struggle in the CAA this season if they cannot get consistent contributions from everyone on the floor. Coach Dillon believes in the "Play as a team; win as a team" philosophy, and that simple statement provides most of the explanation for Drexel's 6-7 record. They must also match the intensity of their opponent, particularly at home. Improving these two areas can go a long way towards elevating the Dragons in the CAA standings.
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