MADISON, N.J. – Moravian College broke open a close game early in the second half and the second-seeded Greyhounds handed the top-seeded Drew University men's basketball team an 86-72 loss in the Landmark Conference championship game on Sunday at a jam-packed Baldwin Gym. Senior forward Nate Aldrich was a bright spot for the Rangers, breaking the Landmark Conference rebounding record with his 877th career board.
 
Drew (21-6), which was playing in its first-ever Landmark Conference final, will now hope for an at-large bid in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Rangers, who lost for the first time at home this season, could also be chosen to compete in the ECAC Division III Tournament if they are not selected for NCAAs. Both tournament fields will be announced on Monday. Moravian (19-8) won its second-straight Landmark title and receives the conference's automatic bid in the NCAA tournament.
 
How it Happened: The Rangers fell behind 7-0 to start the game, but answered right back with a 10-0 run. Playing in front of a raucous crowd, three different players scored during the spurt, which was capped by a 3-pointer from junior guard Cole Hanntz. Drew led 18-15 midway through the half, but the Greyhounds used a 16-4 run to open up a nine-point lead. Aldrich scored four points in the final 1:20 of the period, however, and Drew trailed just 40-34 at the half.
 
A free throw from senior guard Darius Reiter made it a seven-point game early in the second half; however, that's when Moravian used a 17-6 run to open up a gap. The Greyhounds gradually pulled away and led by as much as 25 at one point. Drew closed the game on a 14-3 run to set the final score.
 
Top Performers: Aldrich turned in yet another outstanding performance with his 13th double-double of the season, finishing with 17 points and 15 rebounds. His final board of the day gave him the conference record that was previously held by Catholic's Jason Banzhaf (2007-11). Aldrich shot 7-for-13 from the floor. Despite playing just 25 minutes due to foul trouble, junior guard Riley Collins netted 16 points while senior guard Dan Roibal scored a season-high 12 points in only 15 minutes off the bench. Reiter added 11 points while sophomore forward Malachi Walker grabbed eight rebounds. O'Neil Holder posted 25 points and nine rebounds for Moravian to earn tournament MVP honors.
 
Stat Sheet: The two sides finished with nearly identical field-goal percentages, as Moravian shot 47.8 percent while the Rangers hit on 47.3 percent of their attempts. However, the Greyhounds outscored the Rangers 33-12 from 3-point range. Drew out-rebounded Moravian 38-31.