WILMINGTON, North Carolina – Senior forward Niki Metzel scored six of her 15 points in overtime as visiting Drexel overcame a 15-point deficit to edge UNCW by a 73-72 margin in Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball action at Trask Coliseum on Sunday afternoon.
 
The win allowed the Dragons to earn a split of their CAA opening weekend while moving to 8-6 overall. UNCW, meanwhile, dropped to 4-9 overall and 1-1 in league play.
 
One of three Drexel players to score in double figures, Metzel came off the bench to make 5-of-10 shots from the field while going 5-for-6 at the free throw line with a team-high nine rebounds.
 
Senior forward Bailey Greenberg paced Drexel with 22 points, including 13 in the second half and overtime, while senior forward Mariah Leonard chipped in 13 points and four rebounds.
 
The Seahawks were led by redshirt senior guard GiGi Smith, who netted a career-high 32 points with seven rebounds. The Norfolk, Va., product converted 9-of-17 field goal attempts in addition to a 10-for-13 effort at the foul line.
 
Senior guard Lacey Suggs added 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the floor, including a 2-for-3 showing from beyond the arc, while sinking both of her free throws.
 
Key Moment: After UNCW took a 70-69 lead with a traditional three-point play by Suggs with 1:01 left in overtime, Metzel scored four straight points to give Drexel a 73-70 advantage with 15.7 seconds remaining. Smith converted a lay-up and was fouled with 1.6 seconds remaining, but missed the game-tying free throw.
 
Game Notes:

• Drexel has now won 17 consecutive games against the Seahawks and leads the all-time series by a 26-8 margin.
• UNCW and Drexel played an overtime game for just the second time in the 34-game series … The previous overtime contest came on Jan. 9, 2005, when Drexel outlasted UNCW by a 79-73 count in a three-overtime thriller at Trask Coliseum.
• Drexel and UNCW combined to convert 37-of-46 free throws in the contest … The Dragons were 22-of-27 while the Seahawks had a 15-for-19 effort.
• The Seahawks have played back-to-back overtime games for the first time since Feb. 22-26, 2015, when they defeated Towson and Delaware … UNCW is now 20-18 all-time in overtime affairs, including a 13-8 mark at home.
• UNCW outrebounded Drexel by a 37-30 margin, marking just the fourth time this year the Seahawks have held the advantage on the glass.
• The Seahawks committed a season-high 23 turnovers, which Drexel converted into 22 points.
• Smith became the first UNCW player to score 30 or more points in a game since Shrita Parker tallied 36 points at NC Central on Nov. 20, 2018 … She is also the first player to register a 30-point effort at Trask Coliseum since Catawba's Bri Johnson netted 31 points against the Seahawks on Dec. 19, 2016.
• Smith's 32 points are tied for the seventh-highest single-game total in Trask Coliseum history.
• Suggs has now scored in double figures in five consecutive games after her 18-point showing … The White Lake, N.C., product is averaging 15.6 points per game during the streak.
• Suggs also played a career-high 42 minutes in Sunday's loss against Drexel, marking the fifth time this year she has played 35 or more minutes.
• Greenberg, the CAA's leading scorer, has reached double figures in all 14 games this season.
• Greenberg moved into a tie for eighth place on Drexel's all-time scoring list with Jen MacNeill following her 22-point performance on Sunday … The North Wales, Pa., product has now scored 1,519 points in 115 career games.

Up Next: UNCW plays its first CAA road game of the season on Friday, Jan. 10, when the Seahawks travel to William & Mary for a 7 p.m. fixture against the Tribe.

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