Box Score MADISON, N.J. (Nov. 19, 2014) – Senior guard
Breana Wilson led the way for the Drew University women's basketball team en route to a 68-60 victory over the Albertus Magnus College Falcons in non-conference action Wednesday night in Baldwin Gymnasium. Wilson logged 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting, added seven assists and five rebounds.
Freshmen
Ally Raulf,
Michaela Keegan and
Haley Scheuer provided an effective, collaborative effort. The youthful trio combined for 24 points on 80-percent shooting off the bench.
"The freshmen stepped up really big tonight," said head coach
Brittany Gaetano. "They did all the things we've been asking them to do and they've really been working hard to improve."
What Drew lacked in volume in the first half they made up for in efficiency. They neglected to commit their first foul until the 5:44 minute mark of the half. By that point, the Falcons had already accumulated six of their own. The Rangers also shot at a 44-percent clip compared to Albertus Magnus' 34-percent.
Albertus Magnus took 15 more shots than Drew but their lack of shot conversion allowed Drew to get away with its 12 turnovers.
Raulf came off the bench and immediately entered into the action, ripping down a team-high four rebounds and six points in the half. Most of her scoring was done in the post, slipping past taller defenders and scooping home tricky bank shot buckets.
Each team's individual perks would offset and the squads would go into halftime at a score of 30–26.
"I thought or kids played really tough," Gaetano said. "They came out in the second half and toughed it out. It didn't look pretty all the time, but we gutted it out, we toughed it out, we did the things we needed to do. There are some things to improve on, but we're happy with the way played."
The Falcons picked up where they left off foul wise as the second half began. Five minutes in they had already accumulated seven, including a technical from the bench. Despite this, Drew found themselves leading by only three.
Drew passed frequently and often threw careless passes out of bounds. The Rangers utilized picks, drives, and changes of direction to keep the Falcon defense off balance. Either Wilson or junior guard
Courtney Stephens would be the ones to finish the play off with a layup.
Drew seemed to outlast Albertus Magnus as the game wound to a close. The Rangers ripped into a 19-5 run that got them to the 10-minute mark of the contest, and to a double-digit lead they wouldn't relinquish.
They were persistent in driving to the basket, and once they got into the double-bonus with 10 minutes remaining, Drew upped the pressure even more. Wilson drove with authority using Raulf's picks. On one basket, she drove in and flipped a layup off the glass as she tumbled against the padding.
It soon became clear that Drew's primary objective was drawing fouls, and they began to do so with ease. Twenty-two of the Rangers' 68 points came via the charity stripe on Saturday.
The Falcons' largest lead was by six early in the first half, but Drew turned the tables to lead by as many as 11 with 10:40 to go in the second half. Albertus Magnus dominated the battle in the paint 44-26, but Drew's advantage in bench points (28-5) made up for the deficit in the post. The game was tied eight times and the lead changed hands five times before the Rangers pulled away in the second half.
Drew continues its five-game home stand to open the 2014-15 season on Saturday, Nov. 22 at 1:00 p.m. when Centenary (N.J.) College comes to Baldwin Gymnasium for a non-conference contest.
