TAMPA, Fla. (Dec. 29, 2016) – Freshman Riley Collins nailed three free throws with six seconds left to force overtime, but the Drew University men's basketball fell to SUNY Canton in extra time, 74-72, in the first round of the Tampa Bay Shootout hosted by DePauw University.
 
By the Numbers: The Rangers fall back to .500 at 5-5 in their first neutral court game of the season, and their first overtime contest. The Kangaroos, meanwhile, moves to .500 at 5-5 with their second neutral win of the year and also their first overtime game.
 
Top Performers: Sophomore center Nate Aldrich led the Rangers in scoring and rebounds with 25 points on 12-of-21 shooting, to go with 18 rebounds for his sixth double-double of the year. Sophomore guard Dan Roibal picked up his first career double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while pacing the passing game with seven assists. Collins finished with 15 points, four boards and four helpers at the point.
 
Turning Point: Down three with six seconds to play, Collins was fouled on a game-tying attempt from beyond the arc. The Drew rookie calmly knocked down all three shots to tie the game at 65-65. The Kangaroos jumped out to an early lead in overtime and held on despite a late three-pointer by sophomore guard Darius Reiter.
 
Highlights
• SUNY Canton had the early advantage with a 15-4 lead five minutes in. Five minutes later, Roibal knocked down a triple to bring the Rangers within three, 19-16.
• Junior Steve Sangree, making his first appearance for Drew as a transfer from Case Western Reserve University, netted his first points for his new team in a big spot. His jumper tied the game for the first time at 28-28 with 2:19 to play in the opening half. The 'Roos scored the final five points, however, to take a slim lead into intermission.
• Canton continued the momentum into the second half, going up by double-digits 42-32. Drew chipped away with Aldrich's offense in the paint and eventually trailed by just one on a Collins' 3-pointer to make it 44-43.
• A 6-0 run fueled by Aldrich's post play gave Drew their first lead of the game at 58-54. Canton retook the lead, 61-60, with 2:51 to play.
 
Statsheet
• The Rangers won the battle down low with a 52-46 edge in rebounding, despite trailing in points in the paint, 42-30.
• Both teams benefitted from the offensive rebound. SUNY Canton scored 20 second chance points to Drew's 14.
 
Up Next: Drew plays in the consolation game on Friday, Dec. 30 at 1:00 p.m. against Wentworth Institute of Technology.