Amaris Baker’s 21 points helps Drexel set the tempo in season-opening win over Marist

The Drexel women’s basketball team tipped off its season Thursday, taking down Marist, 64-53.

Before the game, the 2023-2024 team members were honored with their Coastal Athletic Association championship rings. On the court, the Dragons played a familiar brand of basketball that closely resembled that of last season’s team.

Here are our takeaways from the game.

If you bet on one player to have a standout game for the Dragons, you would have been safe putting your money on the reigning CAA conference championship MVP, Amaris Baker.

Since arriving in University City, Baker has blossomed into a star for the Dragons. Offensively, the Philly native can score any way that she chooses. Baker made 2 of 5 three-pointers, blew past her defender to get to the rim with ease, and catalyzed the Drexel offense.

Even more impressively, Baker played every single second of the game, all the while playing tenacious defense and getting active on the glass, securing three offensive rebounds.

Baker, who finished Thursday’s game with 21 points, credited her offseason work running long distances along the Schuylkill River Trail as the factor that allowed her to never leave the court.

» READ MORE: Drexel tips off its season next week. Here’s what to watch on both the men’s and women’s side.

Molly Lavin, Deja Evans, and Cara McCormack all made their presence felt in their first game with Drexel. The trio combined for 21 points, with Evans and McCormack netting eight each. Lavin, Evans, and McCormack combined to shoot 9-for-12 from the floor. One of this roster’s needs was secondary scoring behind Baker, and it seems like the reinforcements that coach Amy Mallon brought in will provide that and more.

On the defensive end, Lavin and Evans truly stood out. Taking turns at the center spot, both had their hands full in guarding Marist’s Morgan Lee, a 6-foot-5center who showcased a strong overall profile. Both did well in slowing Lee down, despite dealing with foul trouble.

Evans in particular led the way defensively with two blocks and four steals in just 23 minutes played.

Both the Red Foxes and the Dragons struggled with turnovers. The number of unforced errors that the Dragons made is something that Drexel will have to clean up before they stiffer competition.

The Dragons turned the ball over 15 times, but Marist was only able to convert those into eight points. On the other end, Drexel turned the Red Foxes over a whopping 21 times and turned those turnovers into 26 points.

» READ MORE: Drexel cruises to a blowout victory in season opener against Georgian Court

The hallmark of Drexel’s championship winning team was their gritty, suffocating defense. It looks like this year’s squad will continue that tradition.

Mallon has long specialized in having extraordinary defensive teams, and this roster is certainly built in that image. Up and down the rotation, every single player appears to be a plus defender. Grace O’Neil embodies this value best, perhaps, as she spent most of her 35 minutes of playing time literally on the floor as she dove for loose balls or fought for rebounds. McCormack and Baker were also exceptionally active on defense and their perimeter defense sufficiently held Marist to 9-for-27 from three.

Down low, Chloe Hodges, Evans, and Lavin were stout in protecting the paint, allowing just 16 Marist paint points.

“To have post players that can defend the post players and Deja [Evans]’s ability to block shots and take up space in the paint, that’s definitely going to be something I’m excited about,” Mallon said.

Drexel will play host La Salle (6 p.m., FloSports) in their first game of pod play in the Big 5 Classic on Nov. 13.