MADISON, N.J. - The Drew University women's basketball gave 15th-ranked Catholic University all that it could handle, but the Cardinals pulled away late to hand the Rangers a 59-50 setback in a Landmark Conference (LC) match-up Saturday afternoon in Baldwin Gym.

The Rangers (14-5, 5-5 LC) tied the game at 50-50 after junior guard Joey Meyers knocked down a pair of free throws. But the Cardinals (17-2, 8-2 LC) ended the game on a 9-0 run.

Meyers led Drew with 14 points while backcourt mate Gwen Alberici finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Senior center Erin Frederick contributed 10 points while junior guard Kyra Mann chipped in with nine points. Senior forward Cecelia Kracht grabbed nine rebounds and blocked three shots.

Rachel Bussanich paced Catholic with 18 points.

The Rangers opened the game on a 10-2 run and led 12-10 at the end of the first quarter. Neither side led by more than four in a tight second quarter, but Drew ended the period on a 5-0 surge to push its advantage to 30-26 at the break. Senior guard Brooke Timinski knocked down a 3-pointer at the horn.

After neither side scored over the opening three minutes of the third quarter, the Blue and Green scored the first four points to open up their largest lead of the night (34-26) with 6:43 left. However, that's when Catholic found a spark, using a 14-2 run to go up by four with 1:45 to go in the quarter. But Mann dropped in a floater just before the buzzer and the Rangers trailed just 40-38 heading into the fourth quarter.

Drew tied it twice early in the final period before Alberici hit a 3-pointer to put her team up 45-44 with 6:56 remaining. After Catholic scored the next six points, Alberici connected from downtown once again to make it a 50-48 game with 4:28 left. Meyers then hit her two free throws before the Cardinals nailed back-to-back jumpers to go up 54-50 with 3:09 to go. 

The Rangers stopped Catholic on its next three possessions, but the Cardinals iced it at the foul line, where it went 5-for-6 in the final 25 seconds.

Drew concludes its four-game homestand on Wednesday, when it hosts 24th-ranked Scranton at 7 p.m.