Colonial Athletic Association

Drexel University, which has competed in the America East conference since 1991, will take its 18-sport athletic program to the Colonial Athletic Association for the 2003-2004 school year. Drexel is one of four America East schools that are leaving for the CAA. The others are Delaware, Hofstra and Towson. They will join current association members George Mason, James Madison, North Carolina-Wilmington, Old Dominion, Virginia Commonwealth, and William and Mary. The official announcement on the addition of the teams to the CAA will be made tomorrow during a news conference in Washington, D.C. "Drexel is pleased to be joining the Colonial Athletic Association because of its record of strong academic performance combined with its great athletics," said Constantine Papadakis, Drexel's president.

Drexel, Delaware, Hofstra and Towson have asked the America East Conference to let them know by tomorrow whether they will be free to join the Colonial Athletic Association a year earlier than planned. The presidents of the schools that make up the America East Conference postponed a discussion Monday that could have allowed the four schools to join the CAA next season. In January, after the four schools announced their intention to join the CAA, the America East agreed to let them go in 2002-03.

Colonial Athletic Association at a glance. C6. St. Joe's guard benched. C6.

Drexel coach Bruiser Flint received his third coach of the year award last night at the Colonial Athletic Association's tournament banquet in Richmond, Va. The Dragons' Scott Rodgers was a second-team all-conference pick, and Samme Givens was named to the all-rookie team in the voting by coaches and the media. Leon Spencer made the all-academic second team.

THE LAST MOMENT of an elimination game in the Colonial Athletic Association baseball tournament yesterday came down to one Catholic League product vs. another. William Dougherty (Roman) used a classic slide to score the game-winner as Northeastern edged Delaware, 7-6, in Harrisonburg, Va. The throw came from rightfielder Nick Ferdinand (Ryan). Dougherty's RBI single had drawn Northeastern within 6-5. Ferdinand posted a two-run homer among three hits.

Caron Butler had 24 points and 15 rebounds to lead No. 23 Connecticut (20-6, 12-3 Big East) past Boston College, 75-61, last night. Boston College (18-10, 7-8) is battling to get into the NCAA tourney, and last night was its last chance to impress the selectors with a regular-season win over a ranked team. Uka Agbai had 12 of his 19 points in the first half. Without him, Boston College shot 3 for 22 in the half. "We've dug a pretty good hole for ourselves," Agbai said.

DREXEL STAR Damion Lee missed practice on Thursday and his status for Saturday's game at James Madison is uncertain. Lee, the Dragons' leading scorer at 18.1 points per game, missed Tuesday's overtime loss to Northeastern with a bone bruise in his right knee. Drexel lost super-sub Chris Fouch in November to a broken ankle. The Dragons are 5-10 and 1-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Their game against JMU (8-8, 2-1) is at 4 o'clock and will be televised nationally on NBCSN.

Drexel guard Chris Fouch will miss the rest of the season with a broken right ankle, an athletic department spokesman said Monday night. A fifth-year senior, Fouch was hurt in the second half of Saturday's 61-59 victory over Penn at the Palestra. He is expected to undergo surgery this week. The loss is a costly one for the Dragons (1-2). Fouch was Drexel's leading scorer at 16.7 points per game. He averaged 14.9 points as a sophomore and 10.8 as a junior. Fouch missed the 2008-09 campaign with a knee injury but was the Colonial Athletic Association rookie of the year in the following season.

FOR THE first time in 40 years, the Drexel Dragons will be going to the men's NCAA Division I soccer tournament. Drexel (12-3-3), which earned an at-large berth by winning the Colonial Athletic Association's regular-season title, will take on Brown at Vidas Field (43rd and Powelton), 4 p.m. on Thursday in its first NCAA game since 1972. The Dragons, who are facing Brown for the first time, are guided by third-year coach Doug Hess, the CAA's co-coach of the year. Unlike Drexel, Brown (12-2-3)

CHRIS FOUCH, Drexel's leading scorer, has been lost for the basketball season with a broken ankle. Fouch, a fifth-year senior guard averaging 16.7 points this season, sustained a fractured right ankle early in the second half of Saturday's 61-59 victory over Penn at the Palestra. He is expected to undergo surgery later this week. As an instant-offense scorer off the bench, Fouch has collected 1,194 points during his Drexel career. He is 12-for-25 from three-point range this season.

THE LAST MOMENT of an elimination game in the Colonial Athletic Association baseball tournament yesterday came down to one Catholic League product vs. another. William Dougherty (Roman) used a classic slide to score the game-winner as Northeastern edged Delaware, 7-6, in Harrisonburg, Va. The throw came from rightfielder Nick Ferdinand (Ryan). Dougherty's RBI single had drawn Northeastern within 6-5. Ferdinand posted a two-run homer among three hits.

TWO YEARS AGO, the Colonial Athletic Association celebrated its second men's basketball team in the NCAA Final Four in recent years. First, George Mason in 2006, then Virginia Commonwealth in 2011. Now, both see the CAA in their rearview mirrors. George Mason is leaving after the spring sports season to compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference, which VCU joined in 2012. Mason's CAA exit will mean the Fairfax, Va., university will forfeit about $2.65 million in funds. Mason's spring sports teams will not be eligible for CAA championships.

TOWSON, Md. - Damion Lee was open to take a last-second shot and passed, which led to a turnover. Kazembe Abif tried to miss a free throw with 1.2 seconds left but made the shot, denying Drexel a chance to tie the game with a put-back in the final moment. Such was the bad luck for the Dragons on Saturday as Towson (16-13, 11-5 CAA) took a 12-point lead in the first half and held on to beat Drexel, 72-71, in a Colonial Athletic Association game. "This game sums up the whole season," said Drexel coach Bruiser Flint.

Elena Delle Donne scored 35 points as No. 25 Delaware won its 13th straight game, a 79-63 pasting Sunday of visiting Hofstra. Delle Donne scored 21 first-half points as the Blue Hens (18-3, 9-0 Colonial Athletic Association) broke open a tight game in the final 10 minutes of the half. Her three-pointer at the half made it 46-33. Delaware's lead grew to 21 points, 56-35, in the opening minutes of the second half. The Pride (9-10, 5-3) never got any closer than 13 points after intermission.

DREXEL STAR Damion Lee missed practice on Thursday and his status for Saturday's game at James Madison is uncertain. Lee, the Dragons' leading scorer at 18.1 points per game, missed Tuesday's overtime loss to Northeastern with a bone bruise in his right knee. Drexel lost super-sub Chris Fouch in November to a broken ankle. The Dragons are 5-10 and 1-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Their game against JMU (8-8, 2-1) is at 4 o'clock and will be televised nationally on NBCSN.

CHRIS FOUCH, Drexel's leading scorer, has been lost for the basketball season with a broken ankle. Fouch, a fifth-year senior guard averaging 16.7 points this season, sustained a fractured right ankle early in the second half of Saturday's 61-59 victory over Penn at the Palestra. He is expected to undergo surgery later this week. As an instant-offense scorer off the bench, Fouch has collected 1,194 points during his Drexel career. He is 12-for-25 from three-point range this season.

Drexel guard Chris Fouch will miss the rest of the season with a broken right ankle, an athletic department spokesman said Monday night. A fifth-year senior, Fouch was hurt in the second half of Saturday's 61-59 victory over Penn at the Palestra. He is expected to undergo surgery this week. The loss is a costly one for the Dragons (1-2). Fouch was Drexel's leading scorer at 16.7 points per game. He averaged 14.9 points as a sophomore and 10.8 as a junior. Fouch missed the 2008-09 campaign with a knee injury but was the Colonial Athletic Association rookie of the year in the following season.

FOR THE first time in 40 years, the Drexel Dragons will be going to the men's NCAA Division I soccer tournament. Drexel (12-3-3), which earned an at-large berth by winning the Colonial Athletic Association's regular-season title, will take on Brown at Vidas Field (43rd and Powelton), 4 p.m. on Thursday in its first NCAA game since 1972. The Dragons, who are facing Brown for the first time, are guided by third-year coach Doug Hess, the CAA's co-coach of the year. Unlike Drexel, Brown (12-2-3)

Colonial Athletic Association at a glance. C6. St. Joe's guard benched. C6.

Last season's champion: Drexel (29-7, 16-2 CAA). Last season's tournament champion: Virginia Commonwealth (defeated Drexel, 59-56, in the final). Top returning players: Devon Saddler (Delaware, 6-2 junior guard, 18.8 ppg.); Jamelle Hagins (Delaware, 6-9 senior forward, 12.4 ppg., 11.1 rpg.); Frantz Massenat (Drexel, 6-4 junior guard, 13.7 ppg., 4.8 apg.); Damion Lee (Drexel, 6-6 sophomore guard, 12.0 ppg.); Sherrod Wright (George Mason, 6-4 junior guard, 9.6 ppg.); Devonta White (Georgia State, 5-10 junior guard, 12.9 ppg.)