';//-->
NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion held Drexel to 16 percent shooting in the first half but the Dragons outscored ODU by 22 in the second half to come away with a 53-45 win at the Ted Constant Center Thursday night.
The Lady Monarchs held Drexel to the lowest scoring half of the season with just 13 first half points and the lowest half in over a year.
Tia Lewis led ODU with 16 points and 14 rebounds and is just three points from tying Okeisha Howard for 12th all-time on the Lady Monarchs' scoring list.
With a little over three minutes to go Fiona Flanagan hit a layup to give Drexel a 45-43 lead and one they would not give up.
Hollie Mershon followed with another layup before Myeisha Hall added a steal and layup but Drexel scored the final six points, all on foul shots to finish the game.
Drexel went on an 8-0 run and took their first lead of the game at the 5:38 mark on a Hollie Mershon three-pointer to make the score 40-39. Lewis gave ODU the lead right back with a short jumper from the right post.
ODU pushed the lead back to seven as Cook and Lewis both nailed jumpers to make the score 39-32 with eight minutes to play.
Drexel got back in the game as they started the second half on a 13-2 run as Tyler Hale hit a three and Kamile Nacickaite hit two treys to cut the lead to 29-26. Tia Lewis drained a three-pointer to stop the run and push the lead back to six.
ODU got out in front early taking a 9-4 advantage as Lewis and Cook had the first nine for the Lady Monarchs.
The Lady Monarchs pushed the lead to eight at 15-7 as Cook hit a jumper and Hall added two layups. Old Dominion held Drexel without a field goal for six minutes until Fiona Flanagan hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to 15-10 but Cook hit a layup to push the lead back to seven.
Tyler Hale hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to 17-12 but ODU held Drexel without a field goal the final six minutes of the half and went on a 10-1 run to finish the half. Tiffany Minor and Hall added layups while Ashley Betz-White drained a three to give Old Dominion a 27-13 halftime advantage. The 13 points by Drexel was the lowest amount given up by ODU in any half this year while the Dragons' 16 percent in the first half was the lowest shooting percentage in a half.
Nacickaite, who was held scoreless in the first half with solid defense from the Lady Monarchs' zone defense, as well as being guarded by JoNiquia Guilford and Jackie Cook, scored 16 second half points and added seven rebounds. Mershon led Drexel with 18 points while Flanagan chipped in 11.
Notes:The 13 first half points scored by Drexel was the lowest allowed in a half since ODU allowed 13 in the first half last season against George Washington on December 8, 2010.
With 16 points and 14 rebounds, Tia Lewis recorded her 10th double-double of the season and 39th of her career.