The NBA returned from the All-Star break on Feb. 22 and, with a jam-packed slate, it was also a busy night in the college basketball world. Entering Thursday evening, the game between the Drexel Dragons and the Delaware Blue Hens wasn’t exactly on the national radar but, after 40 minutes of play, that was no longer the case.
In short, the Dragons made NCAA history, overcoming a 34-point deficit in less than 25 minutes of action on the way to an 85-83 home victory.
Once down by 34 points (53-19), Drexel defeated Delaware tonight 85-83. It is the largest comeback in Division I MBB history, breaking a record that stood since 12-30-1950 (Duke beat Tulane after trailing by 32).
— David Worlock (@DavidWorlock) February 23, 2018
As David Worlock of the NCAA notes, the previous record was 32 points and, while it takes some work to even achieve a 34-point deficit in the first place, it is remarkable that Drexel was able to emerge from it. The team was generally on fire and, after a red-hot start of their own, Delaware cooled off with haste to set the stage for history.
Just when you thought a 34-point lead was safe….
Drexel trailed Delaware 53-19 with 2:30 left in the first half. They won 85-83.
Largest comeback in D-I history. pic.twitter.com/LAEy5wDmvN
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 23, 2018
Comebacks like this one aren’t achieved in one fell swoop and, crazily, Drexel still trailed by 27 points at the half after allowing 56 points in a 20-point span. Still, the message to the team was clear from the coaching staff and it was executed to perfection.
Just spoke with Drexel guard Tramaine Isabell about the 34-point comeback win: "Coaches just kept screaming at us during timeouts, whatever the run was. 17-2, 8-0. After you hear that a couple times, you [start thinking] maybe this is possible. And we just made history."
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) February 23, 2018
Delaware finished the evening shooting 51 percent from the floor and 44 percent from three, not exactly fitting the profile of a team that suffered a letdown for the ages. Still, it was Drexel that made every play over the final 22:30 of clock time and the stars aligned in this particular case.
Amusingly, the Dragons closed as three-point favorites to achieve victory and, even after making history, fell short of covering the spread. That is the last thing on the minds of anyone involved, though, as one team put together an unforgettable run in an otherwise anonymous game, while the other squad must try to forget the horror of ending up on the wrong end of a momentous occasion.
