WASHINGTON, DC - Senior guard David Gervase scored a team-high 20 points, including four big free throws in the final 25 seconds, and the Drew University men's basketball team held off a late rally to earn a 71-65 Landmark Conference (LC) victory at Catholic University Saturday afternoon.

The Rangers (9-5, 3-0 LC) have now won six games in a row, matching their longest streak since capturing six straight late in the 2018-19 campaign. 

Drew, which remains perfect in conference play, iced its victory at the foul line, making its final six free throws.

After trailing by 11, Catholic (8-4, 1-2 LC) rallied to cut the lead to three (63-60) with 1:44 left. It was just a four-point game (65-61) when Gervase was fouled with 25 seconds remaining, and he went on to hit both shots. 

The Cardinals answered with a lay-up to make it 67-63 before Gervase was intentionally fouled. He knocked down two more at the charity stripe to give his team a six-point advantage with 18 ticks showing.

Catholic scored off another lay-in five seconds later, and it sent senior guard Drew Gallagher to the foul line with 10 seconds left. Gallagher put the game away with the Rangers' third-straight 2-for-2 trip at the line.

Sophomore guard James Anderson added 11 points off the bench for Drew, shooting 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. Senior guard Lybrant Robinson contributed 10 points while senior center Malachi Walker, Jr. posted eight points, five rebounds, and a pair of blocked shots. Junior forward Howard McBurnie, Jr. collected seven points and 12 rebounds, and Gallagher totaled seven points and four assists. Senior guard Miles Lewis chipped in with six points and eight rebounds.

Jesse Hafemeister recorded 19 points and 12 rebounds to lead Catholic.

It was a nip-and-tuck affair in the opening half, which featured five ties and six lead changes. The Rangers enjoyed their largest lead of the period when junior forward Michael Kane came up with a steal and lay-up to make it 14-8 with 8:33 left in the period. Drew still led by four (25-21) after a Walker jumper with 2:52 showing before the Cardinals answered with an 8-0 run to go up four. However, the Rangers tied it at 29-all going into the half following a McBurnie tip-in and another J from Walker.

The Rangers led for most of the second half after starting the period on a 6-2 spurt. Catholic rallied to briefly take the lead midway through the stanza, but Drew answered with a 6-0 surge to seize a lead (46-42) it would not relinquish.

The Cardinals trailed by only five (55-50) with 6:12 left before the Rangers reeled off a key 6-0 run to open up their 11-point advantage. McBurnie capped the run with a contested 3-pointer as the shot clock expired, setting up the tight finish.

The Rangers open a three-game week on Monday, when they host Elizabethtown College in a Landmark Conference makeup game starting at 2 p.m.