Drexel’s newcomers find some second-half rhythm in loss to No. 9 Virginia
Turnovers and an inability to generate offense doomed Drexel from the start in an 89-60 loss to Virginia, one of the toughest opponents on the Dragons’ nonconference schedule.
Drexel opened its men’s basketball season Tuesday night facing one of the toughest opponents on its nonconference schedule.
A trip to No. 9 Virginia offered an early opportunity to evaluate how coach Zach Spiker’s team would respond against nationally-ranked competition.
But the Dragons encountered a difficult defensive challenge.
Virginia’s full-court pressure forced 21 turnovers and converted those mistakes into 25 points in La Salle’s 89-60 loss at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va.
Drexel trailed by 24 points at halftime, but showed signs of improvement after the break, briefly cutting Virginia’s lead to 16 before the Cavaliers pulled away.
Exposing offensive struggles
Drexel’s biggest challenge emerged almost immediately.
Virginia forward Thijs De Ridder, the ACC preseason player of the year, scored 12 points in the opening two minutes, 20 seconds, helping the Cavaliers establish a 14-2 advantage. Eight minutes into the contest, Drexel trailed, 25-4.
The Dragons struggled to establish an offensive rhythm against Virginia’s aggressive full-court defense, which repeatedly created opportunities for the Cavaliers in transition.
Virginia finished with 18 steals, a John Paul Jones Arena record, and outscored Drexel, 29-7, in fast-break points. The Cavaliers also dominated inside, holding a 44-28 advantage in points in the paint.
“They didn’t do anything to surprise us,” Spiker said. “They just did it really well.”
Drexel shot 39.7% from the field and 32% from three-point range. Starting guard Josh Reed, one of the team’s returning players, finished with six points on 2-for-8 shooting.
The Dragons’ ability to handle sustained pressure will be an area to monitor as they move through their nonconference schedule.
Newcomers offer promise
Drexel received encouraging contributions from several players making their Dragons debuts.
Eight newcomers accounted for 42 of Drexel’s 60 points, including the team’s two leading scorers.
Freshman Latief Lorenzano-White, an Imhotep Charter graduate, made an immediate impression. The 6-foot-4 swingman started and finished with 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting in 21 minutes.
Senior guard LaDricus Pittman, who transferred from Division II LeMoyne-Owen College, also had 11 points with four assists and two steals off the bench. Pittman connected on 3 of 5 three-pointers.
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The Dragons also received contributions from two international newcomers.
French freshman David Simonovic, a 6-11 forward, started and finished with six points and four rebounds in 27 minutes. Sophomore Panagiotis Pagonis, a transfer from New Orleans and a native of Athens, Greece, added five points in 28 minutes.
Graduate transfer Amaree Abram, who spent last season at Tennessee, contributed five points.
Second-half response
Drexel showed more resistance after halftime.
The Dragons opened the second half with a 7-2 run, capped by a Pittman three-pointer. Later, returning junior Dillon Tingler connected on consecutive threes to cut Virginia’s lead to 58-42 with 11 minutes, 49 seconds remaining.
Virginia coach Ryan Odom acknowledged that Drexel played more physically in the second half and that his team struggled to execute in the half court.
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The Dragons also improved defensively, recording all four of their blocks after halftime and holding Virginia to 38 second-half points after allowing 51 in the opening period.
But the momentum didn’t last.
Virginia responded with a 22-3 run that eliminated any possibility of a comeback. De Ridder finished with a game-high 24 points and nine rebounds, while Sam Lewis added 20 points and four three-pointers.
Next
The Dragons will return to the Daskalakis Athletic Center for their home opener against Colgate at 2 p.m. Saturday.
