MADISON, N.J. (Jan. 30, 2017) - MADISON, N.J. (January, 30 2017) — The Drew University women's basketball team dropped a tightly contested game on Monday evening and fell to The College of Staten Island, 76-71, on Monday evening in Baldwin Gym.
 
Top Performers:
• Senior forward Sam Lane led the team in scoring with 16, matching her highest total in 10 games.
• Senior forward Ryan Jackson tallied a double-double, supporting 14 points with 10 boards.
• Senior guard Hannah Miller contributed 14 points in the setback.
• Sophomore guard Michaela Keegan grabbed eight rebounds, her highest total in 10 games.
 
Highlights:
• The opening half was as evenly matched as could be. Neither team went on a run exceeding 4-0 and the halftime scoreboard read 37-36 in favor of Drew.
• Part of the Dolphins' over reliance on the deep ball was due to Drew's tough inside defense. On one particularly electrifying sequence, the Dolphins tried to convert on a fastbreak only to see Keegan swat away the layup with a chase down block, defend the ensuing shot and grab the rebound to start the break the other way. That sort of stingy D was both representative of the rest of the contest, and wildly successful as the Dolphins sank only nine traditional field goals all game.
 
Turning Point: The contest's neck-and-neck nature was unsustainable. The Dolphins were hoisting far too many 3-pointers (25 by the start of the third period) to continue at this pace, and they were due to either take off or implode. Lucky for Drew the latter occurred. The Rangers pulled away a bit after their well-rounded, consistent approach of foul drawing, mid-range 2's, and complex ball movement put up points while Staten Island promptly missed five consecutive from downtown. The Rangers nabbed a 47-39 lead after they opened the second half's first five minutes on a 10-2 run.
 
The Dolphins would regain their shooting touch and come back to squash the progress the Rangers made during their lapse in shooting, and ultimately take the game.
 
Stat Sheet:
• The Dolphins made more 3-pointers (13) than 2-pointers (9). They took 39 3-pointers to Drew's 14.
• Drew grabbed 41 rebounds to Staten Island's
• The Rangers turned the ball over 18 times while forcing the Dolphins' hand only 10 times.
 
Up Next: With the non-conference slate wiped clean, the Rangers set their sights on the final stretch of the season, which consists of six Landmark Conference games to determine the four teams eligible for the playoffs. The first contest will take place on the road against Elizabethtown College on Wednesday, February 1^st at 7:00 p.m.