The underdog role is ‘nothing new’ for Drexel as it prepares to face top-seeded Texas

AUSTIN, Texas — Amy Mallon recalled times this season when her Drexel squad was laughing together in a huddle at practice. One player, however, had a serious expression.

Was something amiss?

No, Amaris Baker simply was focused and ready to go.

Baker, a Cardinal O’Hara graduate in her first campaign with the Dragons, was the NJCAA Division II leading scorer last season at Harcum College and led the Bears to the national semifinals.

This season, she’s Drexel’s top scorer with 11.8 points per game. She played a pivotal role in the Dragons (19-14) reaching this stage, powering the rally over Delaware and averaging 19.8 points throughout the magical Coastal Athletic Association tournament run that resulted in team’s first NCAA Tournament bid since 2021.

» READ MORE: Playing top-seeded Texas is a tall task. Good thing Drexel is used to the ‘pressure’

“She’s one of the hardest-working players,” Mallon said. “She is physically in the best shape. She is one of our Iron Dragons. She can play 40 minutes a game. Every game I’m like, ‘Do you need a break?’ ‘Nope, I’m ready.’ It was that mentality that she was going to go and go and nothing fazed her.”

Mallon compared Baker to Drexel legend Keishana Washington, whose breakout performance in the 2021 CAA tournament helped spark a career that finished with her as the program’s second all-time leading scorer.

This season, the 16th-seeded Dragons (19-14) have a big challenge ahead of them in No. 1 seed Texas (30-4) in the Portland 4 Regional.

Though Texas is missing one of its stars in Rori Harmon — the dynamic guard tore her ACL in December — its offense remains formidable with leading scorer Madison Booker (16.9 points, 4.9 assists per game) joined by Taylor Jones (12.4 points, 6.5 rebounds) and Aaliyah Moore (10.9 points) in averaging double figures. The Longhorns (30-4) are efficient and shoot 49.8%, good for fourth-best in the country.

“There is a reason why Texas is where they are, seeded No. 1, it’s because of a player like Booker,” Mallon said. “So we’re going to have to do our diligence. We are really just going to have to continue to make sure we stay true to our defensive concepts, which we’ve done all year to a certain extent. They’re going to have to be pretty on point to keep Booker from what she’s capable of doing.”

Brooke Mullin hasn’t really discussed last season’s Sweet 16 run with her new teammates; the Villanova graduate transfer instead is focused on the present.

That’s pretty on-brand for her.

Mullin has brought a lot to the court for the Dragons — she leads the team in assists (3.7 per game) and steals (1.6) and is the second-leading scorer with 10.3 points per game — but she provides leadership off the court, too.

“For us, when she came in, I was like, ‘All right, Brooke, I need you to facilitate, lead, play defense, handle the ball. I also need you to score,’ ” Mallon said. “Can you do all those things? She never said no. I can tell you, it wasn’t easy. … Just with our young ones on the team and her experience I think just kept our team confident they could do it.”

Mullin echoed that her experience is key.

“I think leadership and being someone [who’s] played in a lot of games, just being that person that everyone can look to to calm themselves down and [look] for advice,” Mullin said of her role.

» READ MORE: How lucky No. 7 has guided Drexel to March Madness

Villanova last season recorded the most wins in program history and hosted first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games. Mullin took time to reflect on last season’s run.

“Playing with Maddy [Siegrist] and making that historic run and being able to host was a lot of fun, and just to come back is just a blessing,” she said.

She’s not the only Dragon with NCAA Tournament experience, though. Hetta Saatman was a sophomore, while Chloe Hodges, Erin Sweeney, and Jasmine Valentine were freshmen when Drexel won the CAA tournament and faced Georgia in the first round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament. Saatman and Valentine played in that 67-53 loss in San Antonio. Returning to Texas for the NCAA Tournament represented a full-circle moment for Valentine, a 5-foot-11 senior forward, who appeared in 19 games and played key minutes as a freshman.

“My first time, definitely, my freshman year, I couldn’t ask for a better experience,” she said. “I loved playing on the floor, and, hopefully, I can get that experience again.”

Now, three seasons later, Laine McGurk is in a similar role. The freshman forward appeared in 28 games and averages 6.5 points, good for fourth on the team.

“I feel like she’s built for this moment,” Valentine said, “and she’s going to prove it on the court.”

Added McGurk: “I think it’s really exciting just to be able to contribute to this team. It takes everyone to win a championship, so getting experience through this year, I think it’ll only help me moving forward.”

Nobody on the Dragons roster had been born yet when a No. 16 seed last topped a one-seed. The last to do so was Harvard, which took down Stanford in 1998, 71-67.

So what would it take to continue this year of the Dragon?

“Definitely just staying calm through the storm,” Baker said. “We know everything is not going to be perfect. Each possession won’t be perfect. Things happen. We’re just worrying about being a union and getting through what we have to do each possession to be successful as well.”

There’s also the Longhorns’ size advantage. Saatman at 6-2 is the tallest rotation player for Drexel, while Texas features 11 players who are 6-0 or taller, including marquee players like Booker (6-1) and Jones (6-4).

“We’re undersized somewhat in the CAA, but that’s something that we embrace,” Hodges, a senior, said. “I think it’s a part of Drexel is that we’re often undersized in the post, and we always find a way. Watching the film it’s something that’s definitely evident is the size piece, and the full-court pressure that they bring. That’s what they’re known for, the way they’re able to turn teams over at such a high rate.”

» READ MORE: Watching Drexel chase March Madness glory has been ‘stressful’ for Dragons legend Keishana Washington

Mallon added that her squad will look to fight on the boards despite that size disadvantage and keep the Longhorns out of the paint. That underdog mentality is nothing new for the Dragons, however, evidenced by their 12-14 record entering March to being a No. 7 seed heading into the CAA tournament. In fact, it’s something they embrace.

“We’ve been the underdogs all year,” Hodges said. “Coming into this tournament, it’s fitting. It’s nothing new for us, and we have kind of nothing to lose. That mentality is also what we brought into the [CAA] tournament, and we came out successful. We’re bringing that same mentality in here.”

And though Drexel is the only Philadelphia team in March Madness — the city has just one representative for the second straight season — Mallon knows her counterparts will be watching.

“It’s going to be a heck of a challenge, but I think we’ll make the city proud,” she said. “That’s what we do, get behind each other and root. I know the other teams are rooting for us just as we root for them at this time of the year.”