MADISON, N.J. – The Drew University men's basketball team built a nine-point halftime lead, then held off a second-half comeback as the Rangers defeated Elizabethtown College 82-71 in a Landmark Conference affair Wednesday evening in Baldwin Gym.
 
Fresh off a career-high 34-point performance on Saturday, senior forward Howard McBurnie, Jr. posted another big game, finishing with 27 points to go with eight rebounds, five assists, and a pair of blocks.
 
Junior guard Andrew Turco added a dozen points for the Rangers (10-8, 2-5 LC) while junior guard James Anderson and senior guard Mario Haklaj tossed in 10 points apiece. Senior forward Michael Kane contributed a career-high five steals.
 
Jalin Robinson scored 20 points on 5-of-8 3-point shooting for Elizabethtown (8-9, 2-5 LC).
 
The Blue Jays led for the early part of the first half, but the Rangers caught a spark late in the stanza. Holding a one-point lead, McBurnie and Anderson drilled consecutive 3-pointers to kick off a 14-2 run. McBurnie scored nine points during the outburst, capped by his layup that made it 38-25 with 3:47 on the clock.
 
Elizabethtown answered with a late 7-0 run; however, Anderson knocked down a triple in the closing seconds of the half to give the Rangers a 46-37 lead at the break.
 
McBurnie scored 16 of his points in the first half while Robinson scored 18 points for the Blue Jays.
 
Both teams were red-hot from long range in the opening period, as the Blue Jays shot 54.5% (6-for-11) from 3-point territory while the Rangers connected on 8-of-18 from distance.
 
Drew pushed its lead to as much as 13 (54-41) after McBurnie dropped in back-to-back buckets in the opening minutes of the half. However, Etown answered with a 9-0 run to make it a four-point game with 12:56 to go.
 
This time it was Drew's turn to go on a run, however, and the Rangers would outscore the Blue Jays 9-1 over a critical stretch. McBurnie scored five points during the run, including his second and final 3-pointer.
 
Elizabethtown would not go away, however, and trailed just 72-65 with 2:16 left following a 6-0 spurt. But the Rangers would put the game away at the foul line, where they went 6-for-6 in the final 1:06. Sophomore guard Papie Roberts made the last four shots at the line to ice it for Drew.
 
The Rangers pick up their schedule on Saturday, when they host Juniata College at 4 p.m. in another Landmark Conference tilt.