Getty Images Head coach Zach Spiker of the Drexel Dragons.
Saint Joseph’s shoots for a 3-0 start as they play host to Drexel on Wednesday in a heated cross-town rivalry.
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The game (7 p.m. ET start time) isn’t on TV, but anyone in the US can watch Drexel vs Saint Joseph’s live on ESPN+:
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Drexel vs Saint Joseph’s Preview
Saint Joseph’s has reeled off a pair of wins to start the year but now get a matchup against an old rival in Drexel with a chance to move to 3-0. The rivalry goes back more than 100 years, with the Hawks leading the series 48-10. However, it was Drexel who notched the win last time the teams met, 81-77.
The Hawks earned a blowout win over Mount Saint Mary’s last time out but needed a buzzer-beater against Maryland-Eastern Shore in their opener. Taylor Funk hit the game-winning 3-pointer with six seconds remaining as part of a 22-point night.
Funk has averaged 20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assist per game and was named the Big 5 Player of the Week and Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week. After the big night against Maryland-East Shore he notched a game-high 18 points, and added six rebounds, and four assists in St. Joe’s 80-60 win over Mount St. Mary’s.
Drexel opened its season with a 103-74 victory against Neumann University but fell to 1-1 after falling to Syracuse last time out 75-60. The Dragons actually held the lead after the first half, 33-32, but could not hang with the Orange in the second half.
Mate Okros scored a team-high 16 points, while Camren Wynter added 11 points. Amari Williams came off the bench to score eight points and grab six rebounds.
Drexel made the tournament last year as the CAA champion but are trying to fill some holes with key contributors like Zach Walton and T.J. Bickerstaff leaving in the offseason.
“The truth is, when you look at the roster and the number, we lost 30 percent of our scoring and 28 percent of our rebounding: almost a third of our scoring and rebounding,” Dragons coach Zach Spiker said. “I don’t think we have any reason to be comfortable.
“Continuity will be tested, and chemistry,” Spiker added. “It’s something that everyone’s going to have to deal with. It’s the new normal. It’s a fine line between how you want your program to be built and what you want to be about, but you certainly want to put the best product on the floor you can.”
Saint Joseph’s is a 1.5-point home favorite for the matchup, with the total set at 145.5 points. Drexel is 5-1 against the spread in their last six games, but 3-12 straight up in their last 15 games on the road.
The total has gone under in five of Saint Joseph’s last seven games against Drexel.