HUNTINGDON, Pa. (Jan. 31, 2015) – The Drew University men's basketball team dropped a Landmark Conference contest at Juniata College by a score of 68-58 in front of a large Memorial Gymnasium crowd on Saturday evening.
 
Junior guard Mike Klinger dropped 15 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead the Rangers. Junior swingman Ozan Yucetepe scored 13 with five rebounds and junior guard Kevin Herring II added 13 points.
 
The Rangers (10-10, 5-6) stepped into a packed gym as Juniata hosted a "Shaq the House" to benefit team member Shaquill Smith and his family. Smith is currently undergoing treatment for a critical illness he suffered more than four months ago. The benefit honored him and was largely attended. During pregame warm-ups both Drew and Juniata (10-10, 4-7) players donned number 14 "Shaq" warm-up t-shirts. They weren't the only ones, however, as almost all of the fans in attendance sported the white tees. In an emotional sea of bright white, the tilt got underway.
 
A close-matched game throughout eventually turned towards the Eagles' favor in the final minutes. Juniata had expanded their lead to nine with under four minutes to go but a previously reserved junior forward Jason Huelbig exploded towards the rim and finished his drive with an emphatic two-handed jam. Juniata's lead stood at six now. The Eagles, however, were on top of the rebounding battle and their insistence on second-chance buckets eventually pushed the contest in their favor permanently.
 
Earlier in the contest, 10 minutes into the neck-and-neck battle, Yucetepe forced his way into the paint and snatched down a Klinger three that popped off the back of the rim. He corralled the loose ball and aggressively shot himself up for a two-point basket to give Drew a 19-17 lead.
 
Symbolically prompted by a deep three from Herring II, the Rangers began raining baskets from deep range. They made six such baskets on 11 tries in the first half. The Eagles, meanwhile thrived on swift back door cuts and back picks. They sliced and diced their way into the paint and converted layups, shooting 48 percent from the field in the half. The Rangers were working from outside, the Eagles from inside, but the two squads still found themselves even at a score of 22-22 with seven minutes to go in the half.
 
At two minutes, Juniata held a slim 28-25 lead before Klinger drove hard to the basket and flipped up a right-handed scoop off the glass. Drew's occasional two-point basket got it back within one. With seconds ticking down in the half, Drew attempted to hold for the last shot. As Klinger was trapped by the Juniata defenders he jab stepped, faked a drive and dished it out to Huelbig in the corner who ended the half the same way it began, with a three. Huelbig's deep-range bucket gave the Rangers a 32-30 lead at halftime.
 
Herring converted every shot he took in the half and led the team with eight points. The lead changed hands eight times in the half and hinted towards a close fought battle in the approaching 20 minutes.  
 
The second half opened with an emphatic Juniata block and jump hook on the other end. Just as it looked like the Eagles were mounting some momentum, Herring sank a deep three to throw the emergency break on Juniata's run and shift the gear Drew's way.
 
Five minutes had elapsed and Juniata held a 40-37 lead. After three straight misses from beyond the arc by Klinger, Drew shifted their focus to the paint as Yucetepe found senior forward Zach Nolan under the basket for a scoop.
 
Drew had adopted a matchup zone defense to counter Juniata's offense. This method succeeded in locking down initial shots but Juniata's bigs tore down rebounds and converted the second chance baskets. The Eagles' stringent board play allowed them to gradually increase their lead down the stretch. With five minutes remaining the score stood at 51-45 in favor of the Eagles. The lead would only grow as the game wound to a close.
 
The Rangers will return to Baldwin Gymnasium to host The United States Merchant Marine Academy in Landmark Conference action on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 7:00 p.m.