MADISON, N.J. (Jan. 3, 2015) – In a Landmark Conference battle that featured different styles, impressive stat lines, and pendulum-like momentum swings, the Drew University women's basketball team fell to Juniata College by a score of 67-62 on Saturday afternoon at Baldwin Gymnasium.
 
The second half resurgence that erased the 10-point deficit the Rangers faced was led by sophomore forward Ryan Jackson, who matched a career high with 18 points, adding eight rebounds. Jackson did her work in the paint and working it inside to her was senior guard Breana Wilson who posted a well-rounded stat line of 17 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds.
 
With a minute to go and a one-point lead, Juniata swung the ball around the perimeter, draining Ranger energy and the shot clock. The Eagles' late-game activity was reminiscent of their first quarter play. Let every player touch the ball until it winds up in the hands of their deadly forward. Of course she drained the three, this one from the top of the arch and this one to lock in an impressive 20 point total. The bucket finished off the Rangers, stymied their second half comeback, and hit them with their first loss in a conference game, and Juniata's first win.
 
The opening minutes of the contest served as a sign of things to come. The differences in the two teams' styles were immediately apparent. Juniata's attack consisted of crisp and generous passes.
 
Ironically, this style of varied individual possession resulted in the same Eagle forward scoring essentially every basket. The sophomore forward came off the bench but converted shot attempts like a perennial all-conference starter. She swooped into the paint, danced, pivoted, squirmed, and scored. A lot. The guard wearing number 11 had 11 of the teams' first 13 points and finished the half with 17 on seven-of-nine shooting.
 
The Eagles' offensive attack was reminiscent of consecutive six-four-three double plays in baseball. The guards acting as infielders, briskly passing the ball around before it inevitably wound up in the hands of that forward, playing the role of first baseman.

Drew's attack was entirely different but equally, if not more successful. Before the first half would end, six rangers would score at least a point. Despite dispersed scoring, Wilson illuminated herself within the group. The 5-foot-4 guard was snatching down rebounds vigorously and consistently throughout the half.  
 
Wilson's aggression towards the glass would occasionally seep into and negatively affect her ball handling. She would finish the half with five boards but six turnovers. The turnovers were a natural and expected consequence of her role as primary ball handler. Wilson pounded the rock on the hardwood with force on every dribble as she flew up and down the court. Her work led to a team-high eight points come halftime.
 
Both teams displayed a natural lack of discipline but in separate categories. The Rangers yielded 13 turnovers, four of which came on Eagle steals. The Eagles too were overly forceful at times, committing six fouls resulting in four charity stripe contributions on eight tries for Drew.
 
The second half began like the first, with Juniata's top point scorer on the bench, providing Drew with a brief reprieve. The Eagles' first few possessions included travels and the hoisting of unnecessarily desperate air balls. Juniata struggled to score without their pioneer but the Rangers' fumbling of defensive rebounds helped them.
 
The Rangers were scoring and forcing fouls. Wilson slithered in-between defenders and juxtaposed her tenacious ball handling with fluffy, looping passes to the taller players in the paint. The bigs graciously accepted these passes and turned them into easy two-point buckets.
 
But just as Drew built up a head of steam and trimmed the Eagle lead to two, Juniata's star forward made her way onto the court, promptly draining a three-point momentum killer. She had accumulated 20 points with no sign of stopping. Getting a taste of life without that forward on the floor and then being rudely reminded of the unfortunate reality she represented, The Rangers' coach Brittany Gaetano called time out. They would need to establish a roadblock for the freight train that was that forward.
 
Drew tried their hand from behind the arch as the forwards with their heels in the paint began spitting passes out to guards like Wilson and Sophomore guard Hannah Miller. The attempts wouldn't go and the Rangers' three-point percentage dipped to a dismal 25%.
 
The threes they did hit came in big moments and kept the Rangers from falling past the point of no return.
 
Drew was storming back with Jackson providing the cables for the jump-start. On either end of the floor, Jackson thrived, always in close, a true center. Jackson worked in the post and effortless dripped in teardrop buckets. Defensively, Jackson would occasionally take on two attackers at once, swinging like a pendulum and raising once arm, and then another. When a Juniata attack left Drew down by one, Jackson caught a foul and promptly sunk the two shots, gifting the Rangers a temporary one-point lead.
 
Buckets began to fall on either side of the floor as the teams swapped one-point leads. The clock ticked down to three. Jackson scored again, she had just tied her career high in points. Every one of those 18 points seemed to come at an important time.
 
Wilson was laying down an impressive stat sheet and was threatening a rare triple-double. But when she stood the foul line for a one-and-one she missed a key try, leaving the score at 63-to-62 Juniata with a minute and a half to play.
 
Juniata eventually threw the doors open and with seconds to go, sped past the Rangers' attempt at a comeback.
 
The Rangers will host another conference contest on Tuesday, Jan. 6 against the University of Scranton. The tilt is scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start at Baldwin Gymnasium.