MADISON, N.J. – Senior forward Nate Aldrich posted 24 points and 14 rebounds while scoring his 1,000th career point as the Drew University men's basketball team held off a late rally to beat Juniata College 66-64 in a Landmark Conference (LC) affair Saturday afternoon in Baldwin Gym. With the victory, the Rangers (15-4, 7-1 LC) maintain a one-game lead for first place in the Landmark Conference standings.  
 
How it Happened: Juniata (7-12, 1-7 LC) opened the game on a 9-0 run, but the Rangers climbed back into it and took the lead on a dunk from sophomore forward Malachi Walker midway through the half. It was a back-and-forth game the rest of the period, which featured five ties and five lead changes, and Drew led 33-29 at the intermission. Aldrich, who entered the game needing nine points for 1,000, achieved the milestone with a pair of quick buckets in the opening minute of the second half.

The Rangers pushed their advantage to 12 midway through the second stanza and still led by eight after an Aldrich lay-in with 3:30 to go. However, the Eagles scored the next five points to make it a one-possession game, and they attempted a potential game-tying 3-pointer with 34 seconds left. But the shot from the right corner was tipped by Walker and the Rangers recovered the loose ball, forcing Juniata to foul. Senior guard Darius Reiter nailed a pair of big free throws before Paul Martello drained a 3 for the Eagles with 15 seconds left. Juniata had two more chances to tie it or go ahead in the closing moments after Drew twice missed the front end of a 1-and-1. But senior guard Riley Collins forced a turnover with three ticks showing and a desperation heave from beyond halfcourt was blocked by Walker at the buzzer.
 
Top Performers: Aldrich shot 11-for-15 from the floor while posting his season-high point total, which was just two shy of his career-high. He also blocked three shots. Walker finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks while Collins posted eight points, eight assists, and three steals. Reiter contributed 11 points and five rebounds.
 
Stat Sheet: It was a relatively even game statistic-wise, with Drew shooting 44.1 percent from the field and Juniata connecting on 42.1 percent of its shots. The Rangers, however, grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and outscored the Eagles 24-6 in second-chance points. Drew held a 38-33 edge in overall rebounds. The Blue and Green tied their season-high in blocked shots with eight.
 
Notes: Aldrich is the 20th 1,000-point scorer in program history and the second this season, joining Collins, who reached the milestone back in November…The Rangers have tied the program record for the best record through 19 games, equaling the 15-4 mark set by the 1979-80 team…They have also tied their best Landmark Conference start in program history, matching last year's squad's 7-1 record.
 
Next Up: The Rangers continue their season on Wednesday with a big Landmark Conference tilt at Moravian College, which is currently in second place in the conference standings. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.