Drexel has a real chance to make some noise in the CAA tourney. Here’s how the Dragons do it.

When Drexel heads to Washington on Saturday for the Coastal Athletic Association tournament, the odds will be heavily stacked against the Dragons.

As the No. 8 seed, Drexel will have to win four games in four days to win the championship, and their path goes through top-seeded Towson. Still, the Dragons are not a typical No. 8 seed. They enter on a four-game winning streak, which gives them real momentum at a Cinderella run to the Big Dance.

Here are Drexel’s three keys to a strong run in the CAA tournament:

There has been one obvious flaw that stands above the rest in Drexel’s game: Free throws.

In Drexel’s 16 wins against Division I opponents this year, the Dragons have converted about 75% of their free throws — and 59% in their 14 losses. Consistent free-throw shooting could have made the difference in six of the Dragons’ nine losses during the conference slate.

And while no Dragons player has been immune from free-throw struggles, Yame Butler bears the majority of the responsibility. Butler’s game is predicated on finishing at the rim and drawing fouls.

In fact, his team-leading 120 free-throw attempts are 51 more than second-place Cole Hargrove. In wins, Butler connects on 78% of his free throws. In losses, though, the senior shoots a dismal 58%. If Butler and Co. can be effective from the foul line in Washington the Dragons will be tough to beat.

Drexel’s inability to manage intense situations late in games has been apparent.

Offensively, the Dragons can fall into the habit of playing so slow that the pace goes from deliberate to debilitating. Drexel is 356th in the nation in tempo this season.

While that can frustrate other teams and, at times, enhance the quality of the offensive possession, the Dragons have spent long stretches of some games too focused on burning the clock rather than getting a quality look. This offense reared its ugly head too often when the Dragons were up late in games and the strategy appeared to be playing not to lose rather than to win.

» READ MORE: Follow the Inquirer's complete coverage of Drexel athletics right here!

Usually a stout team defensively, there have been a plethora of self-destructions late in games. No possession encapsulates this more than a botched defensive possession that allowed UNC Wilmington earlier this season allowing the Seahawks to inbound the ball and go coast-to-coast with just 4.7 seconds left in the game.

With a veteran coaching staff behind them, one would think the Dragons would be able to avoid a meltdown of this nature in March, but they will have to prove that those lapses are behind them.

When Drexel won the CAA tournament in 2021, it shot 57% from three. It would be pretty stunning if this team were to replicate that. However, they don’t have to.

This Drexel team isn’t known for lighting up opponents from beyond the arc. Coach Zach Spiker has implemented a balanced offense that can beat opponents by taking whatever shots the opposing defense gives his team. The Dragons are 226th in the nation in three-point rate, right in the middle of the pack.

However, Drexel’s ability to make enough of the few threes it does take is pivotal in determining how far it can go in the CAA tournament. Across its wins, Drexel shoots 38% from deep to 29% in losses. There have been just four instances this season where Drexel shot above 33% from three and lost.

So, what does this mean? Drexel does not need to do anything special from beyond the arc, it just needs to do enough. The Dragons should be looking to get Kobe MaGee, a 43.8% three-point shooter looks from deep early and often.

» READ MORE: Drexel has hit its stride on the court at the right time. Its point guard, Jason ‘Deuce’ Drake, is a big reason why.