BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Moravian University erased a 23-point second-half deficit and handed the Drew University men's basketball team a 91-88 loss in a Landmark Conference matchup Tuesday afternoon.
 
The Greyhounds took the lead for good on a 3-pointer from CJ Weber with 1:23 left that made it 86-85, then held on by making 5-of-8 free throws down the stretch.
 
Alex Dietz split a trip to the foul line for Moravian with 5.2 seconds left, but the Rangers managed to get off a potential game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer. However, a shot from junior guard Andrew Turco from the top of the arc was off the mark.
 
Five players scored in double figures for the Rangers (8-6, 0-3 LC), including senior forward Howard McBurnie, Jr., who posted 19 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and a pair of blocked shots. With his fifth rebound of the game, he moved past Dan Pierce C'96 for fourth on the school's all-time list and now has 711 boards for his career.
 
Senior guard Mario Haklaj added 18 points off the bench for Drew, which shot a season-high 53.0% from the floor and posted its third-highest scoring output of the season. Turco and junior guard James Anderson added 12 and 10 points, respectively while sophomore guard Papie Roberts chipped in with nine points off the bench.
 
Dietz scored 18 points to lead Moravian (5-9, 2-1 LC), which shot 69.2% (9-for-13) from 3-point range in the second half. Marquis Ratcliff contributed 16 points for the hosts while Michael Leonardo added nine points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
 
McBurnie dropped in a lay-up to make it 71-48 with 13:12 left before the Greyhounds embarked on their comeback, which was fueled by eight 3-pointers. They pulled to within single digits (75-66) on a triple from Dietz with 7:54 left, but Haklaj hit a pair of foul shots to give Drew a 12-point lead with 6:40 left. But that's when Moravian scored seven straight points to make it a five-point game (79-74) with 5:07 to go.
 
Minutes later, the Greyhounds ran off nine unanswered points to assume their first lead since the game's opening minutes, as another Dietz 3 made it 83-81 with 3:01 remaining. Haklaj tied it with two more free throws with 2:46 to go.
 
A put-back from McBurnie gave the Rangers an 85-83 lead with 1:54 left but CJ Weber answered with his fourth and final 3-pointer of the game to put Moravian back up by one. After Drew missed a 3-pointer and put-back, Dietz hit two free throws to put the 'Hounds up 88-85 with 45 seconds to go.
 
The Rangers twice pulled to within one down the stretch, first on a driving layup from senior forward Michael Kane with 33 seconds left, then on a free throw from McBurnie with 17 ticks showing. But on both occasions, Ratcliff nudged the lead back to two by going 1-for-2 at the line.
 
The Rangers had the ball with a chance to tie or take the lead but turned it over with five seconds left, setting up the finish.
 
It was a close game for most of the first half before Drew used an 18-2 run to go up 36-20 with 6:14 on the clock. However, Moravian rallied to make it a six-point game at the break, then scored the first six points of the second half to pull even at 46-46. But that's when the Rangers got hot, using a 25-2 run to open up their 23-point advantage. McBurnie scored eight of his points during the stretch, and he also provided a highlight midway through the half with a thundering alley-oop dunk from freshman forward Kevin Cronin.
 
The Rangers continue their three-game road trip on Friday, when they visit Goucher College at 4 p.m. in another Landmark Conference affair.