BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Wednesday night's battle between the top two teams in the Landmark Conference (LC) men's basketball standings lived up to its billing, with the two sides going down to the wire in regulation before Moravian College pulled away in overtime for an 89-85 victory over the Rangers. The two sides split their season series and are now tied for first place in the conference standings at 7-2 heading into the final five games of the season. Senior forward Nate Aldrich led a balanced scoring attack for Drew (15-5, 7-2 LC), posting 19 points and 12 rebounds.
 
How it Happened: It was an extremely close game down the stretch, as neither side led by more than four over the final 16 minutes of regulation. However, the Rangers trailed slightly over the final six minutes, and the Greyhounds (14-6, 7-2 LC) led 73-70 after a pair of Will Brazukas free throws with 20 seconds left. But that's when junior guard Riley Collins drove down the right side of the lane and dropped in a lay-up while drawing a foul with nine seconds remaining. Collins went on to drain the free throw and Aldrich blocked a shot at the top of the key in the closing seconds to force the extra session. However, the Greyhounds raced out to a 7-0 run to start the period and Drew was unable to recover, as Moravian led by at least four the rest of the way.
 
The Rangers enjoyed their largest lead of the night when it was 25-18 midway through the opening half, but Moravian came back to assume a 35-32 halftime advantage. The Greyhounds pushed their advantage to seven early in the second period before a 3-pointer from senior guard Darius Reiter and a lay-up from Collins made it a two-point game, setting up the tight finish.
 
Top Performers: Aldrich shot 9-for-11 from the floor while posting his fourth-straight double-double and his eighth of the season. Collins totaled 17 points and eight assists while junior guard Cole Hanntz netted 12 points. Senior forward Sky Harris tallied 11 points off the bench while Reiter notched 10 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore forward Malachi Walker totaled nine points and seven boards. Jimmy Murray scored 24 points to lead Moravian.
 
Stat Sheet: Drew shot 53.3 percent from the field and held a 35-33 rebounding advantage, but committed a season-high 26 turnovers. The Greyhounds shot 21-for-26 at the foul line, where it outscored the Rangers by 10. Two of the last three games between the two teams have gone to overtime, and all three have been decided by less than five points.
 
Next Up: Drew continues its season on Saturday, visiting Goucher College at 4 p.m. in another Landmark Conference match-up.