Drexel sports have oftentimes been defined by their underdog mentality. However, this is not always the case. From time to time, some events from Drexel’s sports history stick out more than others. For the Triangle’s 100-year anniversary, here is a look back at some of Drexel’s most defining athletic moments from the past four decades, told by former Triangle editors who lived through them.
“Dragons advance, Malik Rose scored 21 in the biggest win in Drexel basketball history”, Andrew Ross (Mar. 15, 1996)
The late ‘90s were the heyday of Drexel’s men’s basketball team, when Malik Rose led the Dragons to three consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. His talent was fully showcased in his senior year, when #12 Drexel upset #5 Memphis 75-63 in the first round of the 1996 NCAA tournament.
Francis Wisniewski ‘96 was The Triangle’s sports editor at the time. “We went to the NCAA tournament, and in the first round played Memphis. That was the only NCAA win in Drexel history. We made it to the second round to play Syracuse. Malik twisted his ankle in the first game, and he played two days later on a twisted ankle. He was our best player by a lot. The guy guarding him, Lorenzen Wright, went to the NBA, and Malik outplayed him, which was pretty impressive.”
Rose, a future two-time NBA champion, scored 21 points during the Memphis game, putting him over the 2,000 career point mark and cementing himself as one of the best players in Drexel basketball’s history.
“I was around for Malik’s whole career. There hadn’t been anybody like him on campus at that time. He came in as this chubby freshman, and by the time he was a senior, he was this rock. Very Charles Barkley,” said Wisniewski.
“NIT: Field of Broken Dreams”, James Mason (Mar. 16, 2007)
In 2007, the men’s basketball team had one of its best seasons, going 23-9 for that year. Unfortunately, this season ended in heartbreak after the team got snubbed by the NCAA selection committee and did not earn a bid to March Madness.
After not making the NCAA tournament, Drexel competed in the NIT tournament against North Carolina State at the DAC. Even though the Dragons missed out on the tournament, Kurt Ritzman ‘07 remembered how students showed out for the final game of the team’s season.
“The NIT game that Drexel hosted against NC State was insane. [NC State] came to Drexel, and there was standing room only. The DAC was the loudest I’ve ever heard it; it was the coolest atmosphere I saw at Drexel.”
All 2,500 seats of the DAC were sold out, but Drexel’s heartbreak continued as they lost to NC State 63-56. A Triangle article from 2007 remarked that, “in a mere 72 hours, Drexel’s dream season became the off-season.”
“Thank you to the women’s basketball team”, Brett Fischer (Mar. 3, 2009)
If the late ‘90s were the most successful era for the men’s basketball team, then the late ‘00s were the women’s. Gabriela Marginean and head coach Denise Dillon marked this time. In 2009, the team went 24-9 and won its first-ever CAA tournament. This performance earned them a spot in the NCAA tournament. Marginean also won CAA Player of the Year, with Dillon earning CAA Coach of the Year.
Sports editor turned editor-in-chief Brett Fischer ‘09 covered that game. “The women’s basketball team won the CAA tournament. In the semifinals, they played Old Dominion, which had the most consecutive conference titles in the country. Then, they played at James Madison in Harrisonburg for the title.”
In the semi-final, the women beat Old Dominion 62-41, ending ODU’s 17-year consecutive conference winning streak. After, the Dragons played James Madison in the final, winning 64-58. In their first NCAA tournament appearance, they played #5 Kansas, losing 44-68. Marginean would finish her career at Drexel as the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,581 points, making her the top scorer in both the men’s and women’s programs.
Speaking about Marginean, Fischer recalls that, “She was the most gifted person I’ve ever seen at Drexel. There are some people who had higher honors in their sports, but she was unbelievable. She was a great passer, really smart, incredible shooter, just had an amazing basketball IQ.”
“How I knocked Kentucky off my bucket list”, Mike Mazzeo (Jan. 8, 2010)
In Dec. 2009, the University of Kentucky had the opportunity to do something no college basketball program had ever done: win 2,000 basketball games. Who did they choose for their opponent to reach this milestone? Drexel, of course. In front of 24,000 fans, Drexel became part of the Wildcats’ storied history.
Mike Mazzeo ‘10 was at the game. “We played Kentucky. It was called UK2K, so I think it was their 2,000th win in program history. They had DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall, who both played in the NBA for a long time.”
The game was never close. Kentucky beat Drexel 88-44, with future NBA stars Cousins and Wall scoring 18 points each. In Mazzeo’s 2010 article about the experience, he details his time in Lexington. “Was it heaven? No, it was Kentucky. And I was happy to get a taste of it, even if it was just for one game. In Philly, we have the Palestra. But the Palestra pales in comparison to the House that Rupp built.”
“Saputo leads Dragons over Penn in first NCAA game”, Billy Bauer (May 12, 2014)
In 2014, Drexel’s men’s lacrosse team made program history by winning its first NCAA tournament game. The victory came against a familiar rival: Penn.
“The lacrosse team made the NCAA tournament in 2014, and their first round game was at Franklin Field. They won that game, which was pretty awesome,” said Bryan Fyalkowski ‘14.
The game was not going in Drexel’s favor, as Penn was up 6-4 with 17 seconds left in the first half. That was until, as a Triangle article recounts it, Jules Raucci scored a goal, “setting up quite possibly the most incredible 11 seconds in Drexel men’s lacrosse history.” Following the first goal, Nick Saputo scored on back-to-back face-offs, putting Drexel up 7-6 and giving them three goals in 11 seconds. The Dragons used that momentum to launch a 7-0 run, beating Penn 16-11. Drexel faced the University of Denver in the quarterfinals, losing 15-6.
“DU WBB claims CAA Championship title”, Victoria Harrigan and Lucas Tang (Mar. 17, 2024)
The 2009 women’s basketball team had Gabriela Marginean, but the 2024 team had Amaris Baker. Going into the CAA tournament, the Dragons were underdogs, seeded 7th after finishing the regular season at 15-14. Against all odds, Drexel won three games by less than two points in the tournament, earning them a spot in the championship game against first-seed Stony Brook.
“The women’s basketball team winning the CAA Championship was huge because you always want to cover a championship. Being able to cover that and the subsequent NCAA tournament run was incredible because it’s so rare at Drexel. To have that happen while I was editor, I was so lucky,” remarked Paulie Loscalzo ‘26, former sports editor and current editor-in-chief.
Drexel pulled ahead and stayed ahead, never letting Stony Brook lead the game. They won 68-60 and punched their ticket to the NCAA March Madness tournament for the third time in program history. Baker led the team with 19 points, earning her MVP of the tournament. #16 Drexel faced #1 Texas in the NCAA tournament, losing 42-82.
Great Drexel sports moments do not come often, but that is what makes them special. Despite the odds, Drexel’s underdog status has helped them succeed on the biggest stages. For every iconic moment on the court, a reporter from The Triangle was there, capturing what it felt like to experience history.
Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.