MADISON, N.J. - Powered by a 25-point performance from tournament MVP
Julia Ramos, the Drew University women's basketball team captured the 29th Larry Horner C'40 Rose City Classic with a 74-63 victory over Lycoming College Saturday afternoon in Baldwin Gymnasium.
The victory marked collegiate win No. 200 for Drew Head Coach
John Olenowski, who has also won over 300 games as a high school head coach.
Ramos shot 9-for-14 from the field to lead the Rangers (3-1) to their second Rose City Tournament title in the last three years. She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by junior center
Erin Frederick, who registered 13 points and eight rebounds.
Freshman guard
Joey Meyers added 13 points and seven rebounds for the Rangers while classmate
Gwen Alberici added four assists. Sophomore forward
Lauren Cruse contributed six rebounds off the bench.
For the second game in a row, Drew used a late run to break the game open. With the Rangers holding just a five-point lead, they reeled off an 11-0 surge to go up 58-42 with 1:17 left in the third quarter. The run was highlighted by a four-point play from Ramos, who buried a deep 3-pointer from the left wing while drawing heavy contact. She hit the ensuing free throw to make it a 14-point game.
The Warriors (1-1), last year's MAC Commonwealth Conference runner-up, would draw to within 10 early in the fourth quarter, but that's as close as they would get. Frederick scored five straight points to help power an 8-2 Ranger run, capped by a Ramos triple, that made it 70-54 with 5:49 remaining. Lycoming was unable to get closer than 11 the rest of the way.
Drew held a 17-15 lead at the end of the first quarter, then pushed it to 38-34 at the half. The Rangers led 35-25 with 2:45 on the clock, but the Warriors closed the period on a 9-3 run to cut it to four. Ramos led all players with 15 points in the opening half.
Lycoming nudged to within two on two occasions in the fourth quarter before their decisive run.Â
The Rangers return to action on Tuesday, when they visit Centenary at 7 p.m. in a non-conference tilt.
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