Just the Facts, Ma'am: Prairie View threatened but never followed through, and Drexel came away with a 53-45 win at the St. John's Chartwells Holiday Classic. Rachel Pearson led the Dragons with 14 points and nine rebounds. Jeanette Jackson of Prairie View led all scorers with 23 points, 18 in the second half.
For imbalance, emptiness, metaphysics, avians, cookies, and one lucky duck, join your intrepid and sick blogger after the jump.
Good morning, or afternoon, or evening, or timeless abyss in the depths of the howling void, wherever you may be reading Swish Appeal! It's day two of the Chartwells Holiday classic, this time featuring Drexel versus Prairie View. Looks like Prairie View gets to be the home team today, as Drexel is rocking their navy blue again (seriously, you are Dragons, with all the draconic colors available to you, why are you boring navy blue?). Unsurprisingly, a lot of people are not here, as St. John's fans only tend to show up for their own games. Guys, it's free. Enjoy the freeness of its freeness!
Prairie View's been putting up a good fight in this one. They're down 13 at the half, which is better than yesterday against James Madison. Their offense is still questionable, running down the clock constantly, but their defense has improved. Drexel is doing a nice job closing on Jeanette Jackson, similar to the way they swarmed Aliyyah Handford yesterday. This time, Prairie View has been able to get a little offense from Gabrielle Scott to make up for it. Fouls are still a little bit of a problem for Drexel, but there isn't quite as much rending of garments and tearing of hair as there was yesterday at the officials.
Prairie View started the game in their road purple, with Drexel wearing their road blues. Apparently the officials did not approve, because the Panthers just ran out here in their home whites. They seem a little cranky about it. I wonder if the female ref had to watch them to make sure they did it or something.
Good fight by Prairie View. Their pressure in the latter parts of the game discombobulated Drexel, and while it wasn't enough to pull out the win, they made it very, very respectable.
As a woman of Greek heritage (it's my mom's side) I get thrown off when someone decides to name their daughter Pandora. Yes, it means "all gifts", but it also means "stupid woman who opened the box of sins and unleashed all evil upon the world, what were you even thinking?" So it was a little hard for me to focus on Pandora Wilson doing things on the court. She seemed to rely more on her width than any skill in getting position. Carrie Alexander brought decent energy off the bench, but had a couple of dumb plays. Jackie Schluth did well in the middle on both ends of the floor, but kept committing fouls while lying down. On one hand, that's hard luck; on the other hand, roll out of the way! Don't foul out tripping someone because you can't dodge. Tory Thierolf was again primarily a defensive player- I get the feeling offense is not her strong point.
Alexis Smith had remarkable speed, and unusually for a freshman, seems to have picked up the knack for running backwards. On the other hand, she played more defense with her hands than with her feet. (Then again, freshman. We have a freshman with the same problem. She can learn.) Meghan Creighton again brought the unnecessary fouls. It's not necessary to trip an opponent and then try to claim that you were fouled. That, and it's tacky. Rachel Pearson made sure that as close as Prairie View got, Drexel would always stay ahead, coming up with big shots late. Fiona Flanagan got into early foul trouble, and Coach Dillon was very conservative about fouls for most of the game- once Flanagan picked up the second in the first half, she was gone for most of the game. I think they were expecting to use her as more of a rebounder. Sarah Curran did just enough of the scoring in the first half to make sure that Drexel had a lead.
The defensive pressure was heavily team-based- I think everyone contributed, whether it was the forwards clogging the middle or Smith making flashy steals like she thought she was playing for the Eagles or something.
Alexus Parker made it very clear why she thought she was on the floor- she wears 3 and she shoots threes. She spent most of the game dancing around the arc with her hands out, looking for the shot. I don't think she knew what to do when she didn't have a shot opportunity. Shaneece Stephens at least knew when she made bad mistakes, and also had a gorgeous steal in the second half where she rose up and intercepted a pass. Tonisha Lacey was the only post off the bench who got minutes, which surprises me- Shamiya Brooks wasn't great yesterday, but neither was Lacey, and it's becoming clear that Asha Hampton-Finch needs a break more often than her coach will give it to her. It's not a good sign when you can see a player laboring on the floor.
Jeanette Jackson found her rhythm, and a little space, in the second half, and once that happened, she came alive, sniping threes and driving fearlessly to the lane. Several of her free throws did come after the game aws once more out of reach, but she got them back into it pretty much by sheer force of will. Gabrielle Scott drove us nuts in the first half with four or five shots that had a foot on the line. Then she took the step back and promptly buried the shot. The lesson, alas, didn't stick. She seemed really out of rhythm and out of place. Larissa Scott got her rebounding on, especially on the offensive end. LaReahn Washington is still hard to get a handle on. I'm not sure if she's a playmaker, or if she just gets the ball up, or if she's a streaky scorer that I just haven't seen on a good streak. But she didn't bring anything that I could determine. Asha Hampton-Finch boxes out well, but her rebounding and especially her ability to get a hand on the ball leave much to be desired.
Prairie View just generally seemed hesitant on offense. They relied heavily on Jackson, and too many possessions involved them passing the ball around and around and around until someone either chucked up a desperation shot or there was a shot clock violation. No clock management skills whatsoever. Also, way, way too many high passes. Panthers don't fly, unless zoology has tragically lied to me. Lots of yelling from the sideline, but I don't know how much listening was getting done. And even with a solid player like Jackson, I can't see a scenario where having half your points come from one player is a good thing for this team. They showed a lot more heart and fight than they did yesterday, but I don't think they're built for success.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
December 15th, 2013: Drexel at Prairie View (Chartwells Holiday Classic)
Saturday, December 14, 2013
December 14th, 2013: Drexel at St. John's
Just the Facts, Ma'am: Poor shooting doomed St. John's in their first game of the Chartwells Holiday Classic, as the Red Storm fell to Drexel 62-55. Rachel Pearson led the Dragons with 15 points, 12 in the second half, and 10 rebounds; Sarah Curran added 14 points, 11 of those in the second half. Keylantra Langley led St. John's with 15 points.
For ennui, exhaustion, drifting snow, hoarseness, small dancing children, and t-shirts that don't fit, join your intrepid and chapped blogger after the jump.
Good morning, everyone! We're coming to you from the snow- well, it's not snowing in the arena, but it's snowing in Queens, which will probably depress attendance for the Chartwells Holiday Classic. Shame; Drexel and James Madison are both good, solid teams.
The good news is that Eugeneia McPherson is back in uniform for the first time in, like, ever. However, the walk-ons have both been deactivated and we seem to have misplaced Ashley Perez. I mean, Ashley hasn't had a great season so far, but it always makes me sad when a player leaves, and she's a nice kid.
The band is here, and in Christmas costumes. We have an elf. Be afraid of us, Drexel.
Former Johnnie Sky Lindsay is in the house- I originally thought she was doing some scouting for Hofstra, given that they have two conference foes in this tournament, but it looks like she's working for ESPN now. Doesn't surprise me. She's very telegenic.
Again with the guest DJ. The same lousy guest DJ we had last time. No. Stop. We have a band. We have a good band that has fun. Stop playing music instead of letting the band do their thing.
I don't think Kevin was happy with the trumpets during the anthem. I know I wasn't.
At half time, St. John's is up 31-23, but less due to their own efforts on offense than their defense and a late surge. The rim has been unkind to both teams, and we've been much hampered by a lot of fouls on both teams- I think there were twenty-five fouls called in the first half. Briana Brown leads all scorers with 10 points, including a three just as the shot clock expired that should have broken Drexel's back.
Young lady in the Penn State soccer shirt, you appear to be slightly lost,but as Penn State soccer is a very solid program that had nothing to do with Rene Portland's nonsense, I'll let it slide.
Okay, this is not promising, the trainer is running a rolling pin over the back of Aliyyah Handford's leg. This is really not reassuring, guys.
It's probably a good thing that I have to keep these notes G-rated for the sake of Swish Appeal's readership, because otherwise there would be a lot of swearing. I don't know what the deal with St. John's was today- maybe the dorms had a holiday party that ran late, maybe whatever happened to Ashley was emotionally traumatizing to the whole dang team, maybe the invasion of the body snatchers has begun- but they looked lethargic out there. It's like they had no idea what to do when their security blanket turned out to be more of a security lace doily. Everyone who wasn't a senior seemed to panic and not know what to do on offense.
Aleixs Smith was a quick offensive spark for the Dragons in the first half, hitting back to back shots. We staye a little closer on her in the second half, and I think that frustrated her a little bit, as she ended up with more fouls. Jackie Schluth was physical on defense; she reminded me weirdly of a former Johnnie (just in the build and the hair, she doesn't play like Buzz at all). Tory Thierolf seemed to be the defensive sub, judging from when she was in and out of the game in the waning minutes. She committed a couple of dumb fouls- in a game where everyone involved has been screaming at the refs, you can tell a call is bad when the coach starts screaming at the player for a change. Carrie Alexander didn't quite understand how screens work- they're not like screen doors, you can't just shove them out of the way and have the way open for you.
I'm really having trouble picking out anyone from Drexel to focus on. I blame the relatively drab colors. Really, you go with a name like Dragons, and the colors you go with are blue and yellow? At least UAB went with green. (I think I was also busy wanting to say highly inappropriate things in a tone of utter despair about St. John's. The perils of writing about the team that you love- when they get you down, they get you way down.)
Meghan Creighton had a knack for getting herself to the line and getting contact from St. John's players- I'm not going to say drawing contact, because she initiated as much as she took. Fiona Flanagan seemed more comfortable from the outside than on the inside. Rachel Pearson had a lot of trouble getting her bunnies to fall in the frist half, but heated up in the second half. So did Sarah Curran- she came up big later in the game. Abby Redick threw her weight around a little on the wing, but I'm not sure if she has a position.
Drexel held their composure well, and their shooting impreoved markedly in the second half, but I can't point to anything they did particularly well to get the win. I guess they did a decent job of clogging the paint, where St. John's likes to cut, but I'm not sure whether the epic fail that occurred under the Red Storm basket was more on Drexel's defense or the Red Storm's offensive offense.
Really happy to see Eugeneia McPherson back in uniform and on the floor. She seemed a little rusty- her back started seizing up in the second half, and they had to give her a few hard pounds to get her back on the floor. She brought hustle and defense, though her shot still leaves a fair amount to be desired. I don't know if she has confidence yet in her knee, because it looked like there wasn't as much lift on her shot as it should have been. I do like the unhurried way in which she moves- not slow, but completely in control. I don't like the hitting the floor quite so much, if only because I worry about her. Mallory Jones was willing to shoot- sometimes a little too willing. If you're the de facto center in a lineup because the other four players are all guards, you can't decide you're going to jack a three. There will be no one there to rebound it, and the other team will have the ball at a very critical point of the game. That makes us all sad. Jade Walker hustled well for rebounds, but couldn't hang on to them. Hands like stone. She's got to keep her hands up more on defense, and she has to know that if she calls that loudly for the ball, everyone on the floor will know that she considers herself open, including her defender. Aaaaand that's it for the bench play, since Sandra Udobi didn't play- I don't think she was ready, judging from her street clothes after the game. (That, and if she had been healthy, Joe would have had to put her in the game, the way Jade and Amber were playing.)
Aaliyah Lewis, what are you even doing? Tiny Aaliyah was really off her game today. Her clock management was lousy, and she launched pure panic shots in the second half. I don't think I could count the airballs- it seemed like she was just throwing the ball in the general vicinity of the basket without being concerned with the trajectory. Those are the shots we used to harp on Gina for, but they were just really, really bad. Aliyyah Handford was way off her game, too. I think her leg was bothering her- see above regarding the rolling pin being applied to her calf- but once her first few shots missed, her head fell completely out of the game. Nothing was coming easily, and for the most part she didn't seem inclined to make an effort to go for it. Too many times during the second half, she shuffled around the free throw line with her hands out, expecting to receive the ball despite the defenders who swarmed around her. Keylantra Langley came up with big shots and solid defense, in the starting spot that I suspect she's always considered rightfully hers. Amber Thompson was disgustingly passive today. She got an early foul, and I wonder if it got into her head, because she provided nothing. She's got to hit her bunnies. She's got to rebound. I'd be satisfied with at least one resounding block, the kind she can usually provide. Briana Brown was solid, and the way she's matured as a leader in her senior year is beautiful to watch. Today, however, I think she needed to be more of a fiery leader. Someone needed to yell at the team other than Joe.
Generally, the entire team looked like they were playing in quicksand. There was no sense of urgency, no movement on offense, minimal effort on defense. They didn't seem to take any pride in being up 13, they didn't seem to care about being down eight. I don't know what was wrong with them, but they need to fix it. Now. Or swearing will occur.
There was no rhythm and no flow to the game, and some of that came from the plethora of fouls that were called in the first half, compared to the amount that were called in the second half. I'm not saying the refs screwed us- if anything, Drexel got the worst of the calls. (Jade, stop holding. Seriously.) But it's hard to get a sense of where you're going if it's stop and go like rush hour on the LIE.
Is it really fair to two small children to spread presents over eighty feet of basketball court and then expect them to scoop everything up in thirty seconds? That's just mean, Santa.
I really thought we had it after Briana beat the shot clock, but we had no pep in the second half. There was nothing. A great howling void of rampant indifference. An emptiness that yearned to be filled and instead grew emptier. Or it's ark and I'm feeling existential. In either case, they can't lie down in the second half against James Madison. We're better than the CAA- let's prove it.