HUNTINGDON Pa. – The Drew University men's basketball team erased a 12-point first-half deficit and held on down the stretch to earn a 56-50 Landmark Conference (LC) victory at Juniata College Saturday afternoon. Senior guard Darius Reiter drained 6 of 8 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 20 points to lead the Rangers (10-3, 2-0 LC).
 
How it Happened: The Eagles (6-7, 0-2 LC) held the Rangers scoreless over a 10-minute stretch and led 26-14 with 4:29 left in the opening half following a 14-0 run. However, senior forward Chatham Studer came off the bench to score a pair of buckets as part of a 7-1 run to end the half, and the Rangers trailed just 27-21 at the break. Drew continued its push in the second half and tied the game on a lay-up from senior forward Nate Aldrich with 11:46 to go. Juniata edged in front by four midway through the stanza but that's when the Rangers took control with a 14-2 spurt, capped by Reiter's sixth and final triple that made it 52-44 with 3:05 showing. The Eagles would not go away, however, and pulled to within two in the final minute. But the Rangers hit four straight free throws to set the final score, including two from senior forward Sky Harris that made it a two-possession game with 20 seconds left.
 
Top Performers: Reiter continued his recent hot streak, making at least five 3-pointers for the third time in his last four games. Aldrich added 13 points and six rebounds for the Rangers, scoring all but two of his points in the second half. He played just seven minutes in the opening period after going to the bench with his second foul. Junior guard Riley Collins flirted with a triple-double for the second game in a row, posting nine points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.   
 
Stat Sheet: Drew shot 38.5 percent for the game while holding Juniata to 34.7 percent, including just 15.8 percent (3 of 19) from 3-point range. The Rangers held a 39-33 rebounding advantage and allowed Juniata only two offensive boards.
 
Up Next: The Rangers continue their schedule on Wednesday, when they visit Susquehanna University at 7 p.m. in another Landmark Conference tilt.