Box Score MADISON, N.J. (Feb. 6, 2016) – Clutch free throw shooting and strategic play down the stretch allowed the Catholic University of America (16-5, 9-3) to escape Baldwin Gym with a 73-69 win over the Drew University men's basketball team (10-12, 7-6), who celebrated Senior Day prior to the contest.
 
Senior guards Mike Klinger and Kevin Herring II led the team in scoring. Klinger logged 24 points on 7-of-13 shooting and Herring II got 19 points on 7-of-15. Klinger got to the line 10 times and sank nine free throws. Herring II tore down nine rebounds. Senior guard Brian McLaughlin grabbed six rebounds, added six points and assisted on three baskets in the setback.
 
Saturday was all set as a jam-packed event. Besides the honoring of Drew's five seniors, Klinger, Herring II, McLaughlin, guard Joe Saker, and center Kevin-Michael Miller, Baldwin Gym was also playing host to a game that would break up the logjam that is the top of the Landmark standings. Coinciding with the Rangers' pivotal playoff-implicating game with Catholic was a Pennsylvania-based battle between Juniata College and the University of Scranton. Scranton won that game 84-71, distancing itself from the pack. Juniata and Drew both lost today and are tied, at 7-6 each, for the fourth spot in the standings. Drew has the season series on Juniata, 2-0. It's worth noting that The United States Merchant Marine Academy is 6-6, just a half game out of the four spot that Drew and Juniata share.
 
With the celebration over and seniors honored, it was time for them to take the court and handle a critical contest with Catholic.
 
Sensing the danger that the contest might be slipping away with the Rangers down 66-62 with three minutes left, Klinger sprinted the length of the court for a coast-to-coast lay in to cut the deficit in half. McLaughlin drew a charge to send the ball back Drew's way as the final two minutes began.
 
The clutch shot eluded Drew and Catholic wasn't ready to give the Rangers a break on the offensive end. Catholic made all of the free throws that the Rangers gave them intentionally, until the final one. The Cardinal guard's foul shot barely rimmed out and left the Rangers just a possession down, 71-68. Off the inbound, the Cardinals opted to foul instead of giving Drew a chance to get the 3-pointer. The strategy paid off and the Cardinals escaped with the win.
 
The senior Herring II was feeling it early and took on a solo 10-0 run that for a time made the guard look as though he couldn't miss. His attack was varied and he combined Kobe Bryant-like fade-aways with men in his face and aggressive drives to the basket punctuated with tricky scoops. The run sprung the Rangers out to a 17-8 lead about halfway through the opening 20.
 
With five minutes to go, sophomore guard Yonathan Napoleon stroked a deep two and followed that up with a three near the stands to extend Drew's lead to 33-26, he smirked as he jogged back on defense.
 
The Rangers' lead reached 11 before Catholic used a bit of crisis control as the half ticked down. Drew led 37-33 at the half.
 
Catholic upped its paint play out of the break, they meshed savvy pass work and post play to burst out to a 6-0 run and quickly took the lead. Herring II, after a brief lapse in scoring got back involved with his first 3-pointer -- off the dribble from the top of the perimeter to knot things up at 47 with 14 minutes to play. Fast-forward two minutes and he drilled another one from even deeper this time. He gave the Rangers bench a "we got this" look and a 50-47 lead with 12 minutes left.
 
Amazingly, the teams shot at identical 24-of-58 rates from the field. The Rangers were out-rebounded by Catholic 43-34 and the Cardinals made 20 free throws to the Rangers' 15.
 
The Rangers have one home game remaining, a Feb. 10, 7:00 p.m. conference contest with Moravian College. They then head out on the road for the final two games of the year.