Drexel struggles offensively in 83-75 loss to William and Mary at home

After defeating Elon by nearly 30 points on Thursday, few people could have expected Drexel to lose to William & Mary, a team with only three wins——one against a Division III school——heading into Saturday’s contest at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.

Unable to establish a rhythm offensively, the Dragons (8-8, 3-3 Colonial Athletic Association) looked like a team searching for an offensive answer for a large portion of the contest in the 83-75 loss. Missed three-point shots, dunks, and layups doomed the Dragons, who were down by six points at halftime.

“[William and Mary] won more segments of the game than we did,” said Drexel head coach Zach Spiker. “We showed fight, but it doesn’t always translate to success.”

Drexel’s struggles weren’t limited to the offensive end, though. William and Mary (4-15, 3-3), a team averaging only 65 points per game, were scoring at will for the majority of the afternoon. It wasn’t until Drexel implemented its full-court press late in the second half that the Tribe look hurried on offense.

The Tribe opened up the second half on a 11-2 run that spanned over five minutes. The spurt grew the William and Mary lead to 12. The Tribe led by 21 at one point, a deficit Drexel was unable to overcome, despite a late 19-4 surge.

Camren Wynter led Drexel with 26 points, while Melik Martin and Amari Williams each added nine rebounds.

Connor Kochera led William and Mary with 23 points.

Although Drexel likely didn’t think it would shoot 60% again from three like the Dragons did against Elon, there was a noticeable decline in their shooting efficiency from deep.

In the first half alone, the Dragons attempted 18 three-pointers, making only five. Against Elon, they attempted 20 three-pointers for the whole game. While most of their threes against Elon came in transition, many of Drexel’s first-half attempts on Saturday seemed forced, taken early in the shot clock.

In the second half, the Dragons attempted only nine threes, with their first attempt taken eight minutes into the final 20 minutes. Drexel adjusted offensively, forcing William and Mary to defend Williams and Wynter.

“We tried to take what they were giving us,” said Spiker.

But as the Tribe’s lead grew, the Dragons were unable to hit any of their shots, let alone three-pointers.

Martin, a graduate transfer from Monmouth, provided constant energy on both sides of the floor throughout the game. When shots weren’t falling early for the Dragons, Martin could be heard encouraging teammates to keep shooting. When an offensive foul was called against the Tribe, Martin pointed at the ref and screamed, “Thank you.”

“I don’t know if there are always words or an exact adjective that would meet it, but I feel like we are better on the floor with him than without him,” said Spiker. “I think he is playing really hard in those moments.”

Most of his presence was felt on the defensive end. In 16 first-half minutes, Martin pulled down six rebounds and had a block and a steal. During the four minutes with Martin on the bench, William and Mary went on a 9-2 run.

Even during the scoring difficulties Drexel sustained in the second half, Martin was still an energy boost.

Martin finished with eight points and nine rebounds.

With 13 minutes to play in the opening half, Drexel center James Butler checked into the game, his first game action in over two weeks. He missed the last four games, all conference matchups, with an injury.

Butler played for just four minutes and returned to the bench. Once Williams picked up his second foul with seven minutes to play in the first half, Butler was forced back onto the floor for the remainder of the half.

“I think we all know what Butler is capable of at 100%,” Spiker said. “JB [Butler] gave us what he could and I think he will continue to evolve into a version of him that we have seen and been more accustomed to.”

In the first half, Butler scored three points and pulled down two rebounds. With Williams able to stay out of foul trouble in the second half, Butler played just 14 minutes.

His return is significant for the Dragons, who are now able to rest Williams without worrying about giving up interior size. Butler, a graduate student who has played for the Dragons since the 2018-2019 season, brings a wealth of playing experience to the court.

Drexel’s next game will be at James Madison on Thursday, the first of four straight road games