MADISON, N.J. (Dec. 17, 2015) – Senior forward Courtney Stephens' 15^th career double-double (20 points, 12 rebounds) was not enough for the Drew University women's basketball team, who lost a down-to-the-wire non-conference game versus Alvernia University, 54-49, on Thursday evening.
 
Sophomore point guard Michaela Keegan tossed in eight points on accurate 4-of-6 shooting, while passing out two assists. Junior forward Ryan Jackson pulled down nine rebounds and recorded two blocks in the setback.
 
The Rangers (5-4) trailed the Crusaders (4-4) in the final period, 41-35, with 7:37 to play. Stephens continued her dominant play in the paint, where she made eight of her nine field goals on Thursday, including a lay-in to cut the Alvernia lead to four on Drew's next possession. After the Crusaders took back the six-point lead, Keegan netted two of her eight points off a mid-range jumper to make it 43-39 in favor of the visitors.
 
That jumper sparked a 6-2 Drew run, which ended in a layup by sophomore center Ally Raulf, and had the Rangers down 45-43 with 4:30 left. Alvernia's center converted a layup one minute later, but two good free throws by freshman Hailey Stine and another clutch jumper by Keegan erased the Crusaders' lead, which had held since 4:30 to play in the second period.
 
Alvernia's center again made a play in the paint, and with just 35 seconds on the clock, it was Stephens who answered for Drew to tie the game at 49-49. Alvernia, however, charged down the court and made a jumper to take a 51-49 lead. Able to take the last shot of the game, the Rangers missed a three-point attempt for the victory and the Crusaders made their free throws down the stretch to walk away with the 54-49 win.
 
The game saw a sluggish start by both teams as the first period ended with a 5-4 score in favor of Alvernia as both teams shot near 15 percent from the floor. Action picked up in the second with Stephens leading the way for Drew. The senior co-captain finished the first half of play with 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting, while her team took a 24-19 deficit into the intermission. She finished 9-of-11 from the floor by game's end.
 
Three-point shooting was a weakness for both clubs on Thursday. Drew was 2-of-17 from beyond the arc, while the Crusader made just one on 13 attempts. The Rangers had a slight edge in rebounding, 41-39, but succumbed in points in the paint, 30-20. Drew committed 15 turnovers to Alvernia's six, but the Crusaders managed just eight points off those Drew miscues.
 
Drew enjoys the holiday break and will return to the court on Tuesday, Dec. 29 at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Rangers follow that up with a trip to Resselaer Polytechnic Institute the following day before turning to Landmark Conference action in 2016 at Juniata College on Jan. 2.