HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The Drew University men's basketball team rallied to cut a 17-point deficit to six midway through the second half, but Juniata pulled away to hand the Rangers a 65-53 setback in their Landmark Conference opener Saturday afternoon.
 
Senior forward Howard McBurnie, Jr. led the Rangers (6-2, 0-1 LC) with 16 points and eight rebounds while shooting 7-for-10 from the field. Senior forward Michael Kane added 12 points and five assists while sophomore guard Papie Roberts contributed nine points and four steals.
 
Chase Husted led the Eagles (4-3, 1-0 LC) with 23 points and 13 rebounds while shooting 9-for-10 from the floor, helping Juniata snap a nine-game losing streak versus Drew.
 
The Eagles opened up a gap early on, using a 12-0 run to go up 19-7 with 8:15 left in the first half. The Rangers trailed 29-19 with 2:38 left in the period but Juniata scored the final six points of the half and carried a 35-19 lead into the intermission.
 
The hosts pushed their lead to 17 (43-26) with 14:43 left, only to see Drew answer with an 11-0 run to pull within six. Kane knocked down a 3-pointer before assisting McBurnie on a lay-up. McBurnie and junior guard Andrew Turco then canned back-to-back 3-pointers, making it 43-37 with 10:57 remaining. However, Juniata answered with an 11-4 surge, making it a 13-point game with 8:21 to go. The Rangers were unable to get closer than nine down the stretch.
 
Drew continues its season on Wednesday, when it visits Muhlenberg College in a non-conference affair starting at 7 p.m.