MADISON, N.J. – The Drew University men's basketball team held Landmark Conference co-leader Juniata College to one point over the final 4:42 and the Rangers pulled away late for a 61-48 victory Saturday afternoon in Baldwin Gym.
 
Drew's stifling defensive effort forced Juniata into 22 turnovers that were converted into 23 points.
 
The Rangers led just 49-47 when senior forward Michael Kane and junior guard Andrew Turco knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to quickly hand the team an eight-point lead. Meanwhile, Drew's defense made the lead stand up, forcing Juniata into six missed shots and one turnover down the stretch as part of a game-ending 12-1 run.
 
Kane finished with 16 points and two blocked shots while senior guard Mario Haklaj contributed 15 points while going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Senior forward Howard McBurnie, Jr. added his eighth double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds to go with four steals and two blocks. Freshman forward David Musial added seven points, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a pair of blocks.
 
Kyle Ruggery led the Eagles with 17 points while Chase Husted netted 12 points and 12 rebounds.
 
Juniata outscored the Rangers 8-4 to open the game before Haklaj erupted to score 10 consecutive points, including a pair of 3-pointers, to put the Rangers up six.  Juniata answered with an 11-1 run to assume a four-point lead (19-15) with 7:24 on the clock, but Drew used a 6-0 spurt to go up by two with 5:11 left in the half. The Eagles reclaimed the lead in the closing minutes, but a lay-up from Kane pulled Drew to within one (24-23) at the intermission.
 
Kane opened the second half on fire, scoring the first seven points to give the Rangers a 30-24 lead. But Juniata had an answer again, using a 9-2 surge to up 35-32 with 15:12 remaining.
 
The Eagles would claim the lead on two more occasions, the last coming on a 3-pointer from Ruggery that made it 38-36 with 13:44 remaining. But Haklaj would score the next five points on a fastbreak lay-up and a 3-pointer, giving Drew the lead for good at the 11:50 mark.
 
The Rangers led by as much as six before Juniata pulled to within 49-47. After Kane and Turco gave Drew its eight-point lead, Musial helped put the game out of reach by making four straight fouls in back-to-back 1-and-1 situations, extending his team's lead to 59-48 with 55 seconds left. Kane set the final score when he hit two at the stripe with 44 ticks showing.
 
Drew returns to Landmark Conference action on Wednesday, when its hosts Moravian University at 7 p.m.