MADISON, N.J. (Feb. 14, 2015) – The stage was hers from pregame Senior Day ceremonies and throughout the entire Landmark Conference contest, and she did not disappoint.
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Senior
Breana Wilson scored a career-high 21 points on her Senior Day as the Rangers defeated Susquehanna University, 67-59, on Saturday afternoon. Playing in her final regular season game in Baldwin Gymnasium, Wilson netted her career-best scoring output on 7-of-15 shooting with four 3-pointers and a 3-of-3 mark from the free throw line, while adding six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
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Sophomore
Hannah Miller added 16 points on the strength of an 8-of-11 day at the charity stripe, while junior forward
Courtney Stephens chipped in 13 points on solid 4-of-7 field goal and 5-of-6 free throw averages, while also recording six boards and four assists. The Rangers improve to 12-12 overall, while the Crusaders (16-7) fell to 9-5 in the Landmark Conference.
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Energy levels were high coming off the pregame ceremony honoring the career of Wilson, and it was the Rangers' lone senior that started the spark on Saturday. After Susquehanna tied the score at 6-6, Wilson sank the first of her four triples with 14:53 to play in the first half. The long-range bucket was the start of a personal 6-0 Wilson run, which was capped by an old-fashioned three-point play one minute after the three-point field goal.
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Tenacious defense took over as Susquehanna struggled for open looks due to the hounding pressure applied by the Rangers. Meanwhile, Miller and sophomore forward
Ryan Jackson were sinking baskets and held on to a 19-11 lead with 3:12 to play in the first half. Shortly after, sophomore guard
Courtney Trzasko sank a pull-up three-pointer on the fast break for the 22-11 lead, which would hold up at halftime as Drew took a 26-15 advantage to the locker room. Drew's 6-of-7 free throw mark in the first half would contribute to their 80-percent mark (16-of-20) at game's end.
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Wilson again got the party started in the second half, spurring a 10-0 Rangers run to start the half with a slashing layup and a three-pointer as Drew led 36-15. A 16-2 Susquehanna run followed as Drew clung to a 40-33 lead with 11:23 to go. Trzasko stopped the run with a triple and Wilson followed two possessions later with a deuce from the free throw line. Another Wilson three-point a minute later made it 48-36 with 7:19 to play.
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Susquehanna would try to chip away at the lead, but Wilson and the Rangers had the answer on both ends of the court. The defense stayed consistent in getting stops, while Wilson and Stephens took care of business on the other end. Drew held the lead down the stretch and made six consecutive free throws during the final minute as Susquehanna resorted to fouling with the game just out of reach for a natural comeback.
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The Rangers won the rebounding battle 41-39 and outscored the Crusaders in the paint, 24-18. Drew overcame 21 turnovers with the help of a team-wide 7-of-11 mark from beyond the arc.
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Drew wraps up the regular season on the road on Wednesday, Feb. 18 at Elizabethtown College at 7:00 p.m. A win will qualify the Rangers to declare for the ECAC Championships in late February.
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