Then freshman guard Gerald Colds, who comes from the same New York City high school as Drexel big man Frank Elegar, stuck a three-pointer from the left wing with the shot clock approaching zero to put the Dragons ahead for keeps with a little more than 2 minutes to go in OT. Penn did not score again until the closing moments, and the Dragons made their way back to campus with a 67-59 victory, their first in this series in the last five games.
One down, 30 or so to go. Both teams are right back at it tomorrow: Penn is at Loyola (Maryland), Drexel hosts Navy.
"It's so early," Drexel coach Bruiser Flint said. "Both teams had a lot of guys who weren't used to being in those situations. Even the older dudes. You know, they're the guys now. You get a little tight. But they never lost their cool. That was good to see. I just hope we keep it through February and March."
"It's not ideal," Penn coach Glen Miller agreed. "But that's the way it goes. Everybody's in the same boat."
Drexel led by 17 points after 23 minutes and then scored six in the next 15. The Dragons got as many in OT (15) as in the second half? It was that kind of evening.
"Not only have we been losing to them, we've been terrible here," Flint pointed out. "This is the 20th [meeting], but they've never been to the DAC. You can't keep going to the lion's den. You're going to get shredded.
"[People] say, 'Ain't it great, walking down the street?' They can do it, too. I just want someone in the city to come play me [at my place]."
It was Drexel's fourth straight win over a Big 5 opponent. All, obviously, on the road.
