Drexel’s Homecoming basketball games are upon us, and the big question that everyone wants to know is: Are we going to win them?
That is a great question, and we at The Triangle are going to do a deep dive previewing what to expect from these games. So that way, you sound like an expert when you are watching these games on Jan. 23 and Jan. 24.
Jan. 23, Drexel Women’s Basketball versus Stony Brook University
Having just joined the Coastal Athletic Association in 2022, Stony Brook does not have a lengthy history of competition against the Dragons. However, in their four years as a member of the CAA, Drexel and Stony Brook have begun to build something of a rivalry.
In the 2023-2024 basketball season, the seven-seed Drexel women’s basketball team toppled the one-seed Seawolves to win the CAA Championship. In women’s lacrosse, the Seawolves got the best of the Dragons in back-to-back CAA Championship games, and in 2024, Stony Brook upset the two-seed Drexel men’s basketball team in the CAA Tournament.
In any event, Homecoming is a great opportunity to keep adding fuel to the fire of this budding rivalry. It will also be a great opportunity for the Dragons to climb the CAA standings, where their 1-2 record has them sitting in the middle of the CAA. At 3-1, Stony Brook is tied for third in the conference.
These two teams have already squared off this season, where Drexel lost 53-57 to Stony Brook on Long Island.
The Dragons are led by senior guard Amaris Baker, junior guard Laine McGurk, and junior forward Deja Evans. Baker is one of the best scorers in the nation, where her 19.9 points-per-game ranks 17th in Division I basketball.
Stony Brook is led in scoring by Janay Brantley’s 11.7 points-per-game. As you may have gathered from this statistic, Stony Brook has struggled to put the ball in the basket. Their 58.4 points-per-game are the second-worst in the CAA. Where the Seawolves have succeeded is in their team defense, where they rank third in the CAA in points allowed.
Luckily for the Dragons, Drexel’s 63.9 points-scored-per-game and 57 points-allowed-per-game both outpace their opponent.
Drexel has the pedigree, top-end talent, and coaching advantage to avenge their early January loss and score a win for the Homecoming crowd.
Jan. 24, Drexel Men’s Basketball versus Northeastern University
Without long-rival Delaware in the CAA, Drexel had to find a new rival for the signature Homecoming game. For now, that appears to be Northeastern. A fellow co-op school from a tinier, more boring version of Philadelphia — Boston — Northeastern and Drexel could easily be rivals if the Huskies could ever get their basketball team in competitive shape.
Northeastern is currently in 12th place in the CAA out of 13 teams, sporting a 1-4 record with their sole win coming over lowly North Carolina A&T. The Huskies have not finished above Drexel in the CAA standings since the 2020-2021 season.
This season, the Dragons can best be described as a work in progress. Drexel is led by senior guard Shane Blakeney’s 12.6 points-per-game. Other important cast members include Kevon Vanderhorst (9.9 ppg), Eli Beard (9.6 ppg), and Victor Panov (9.3 ppg). Drexel has received passable guard play from Blakeney, Vanderhorst, Beard, and sophomore guard Josh Reed, but the front court has been largely a disaster outside of Panov.
Northeastern is led by Youri Fritz’s 11.5 points-per-game, and, like Drexel, has an offense cobbled together by many contributions from a rotation of players rather than one main offensive engine.
In both Homecoming games, Drexel should have an advantage and send a packed Homecoming crowd home happy.