MADISON, N.J. (Dec. 6, 2016) – The Drew University men's basketball team could not overcome an early deficit at FDU-Florham on Tuesday night as the Devils claimed this year's Battle of Madison Avenue, 72-64.
 
By the Numbers: The Rangers fall to 2-4 overall and 1-3 away from home, while the Devils improve to 3-3 and 2-1 in the Ferguson Recreation Center. The Devils also take a 40-27 lead in the all-time rivalry series and have now won four of the last five matchups.
 
Top Performers: Freshman guard Riley Collins led the Rangers in scoring for the third straight game, pouring in exactly 21 points for the third consecutive contest. The sharpshooting rookie connected on 8-of-15 from the field with two 3-pointers, an assist and two steals. Sophomore center Nate Aldrich added 13 points and nine rebounds, while sophomore guard Darius Reiter pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds to lead Drew on the boards.
 
Turning Point: The Devils led coast-to-coast on Tuesday, using a 10-0 run over the span of five minutes midway through the first half to jump out to a 17-4 lead. FDU led 35-19 at halftime and by as many as 21 with 6:36 to play.
 
Highlights
• Collins led a valiant comeback attempt over the final five minutes, despite being down 21. He scored eight points during a 16-4 run to pull the Rangers within nine at 66-57 with a minute to play.
• Freshman guard Cole Hanntz also contributed to the late-game surge, scoring seven straight points during that run. He converted a fast break off a feed from Collins, popped a 3-pointer, then went coast-to-coast with a steal for a bucket on the other end.
• Drew fouled heavily in the final minute and the Devils made it worthwhile by missing four free throws down the stretch. Baskets by sophomore forward Mamadou Traore and Collins kept it at a single-digit deficit, but Drew simply ran out of time.
 
Stat Sheet
• Drew held advantages in points off turnovers (21-14) and bench points (33-20).
• FDU-Florham won the battle down low with a 40-32 edge in points in the paint and a sizeable lead in rebounding, 55-40.
• Neither team shot well from beyond the arc or the free throw line. Drew was 3-of-18 from deep and 57% from the line, while the Devils made just 2-of-14 three-pointers with a 53% mark from the line. FDU-Florham was 43% shooting overall compared to Drew's 35%.
 
Up Next: The Rangers have a quick turnaround this week with just two nights before their next game, Thursday, Dec. 8 against Farmingdale State College in Baldwin Gymnasium at 8:00 p.m.