ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Sophomore guard Maddy Morgan scored a career-high 20 points, but Rhodes College used a fast start to hand the Drew University women's basketball team a 69-56 loss in the Rangers' first game at the St. Pete Classic Tuesday afternoon at Eckerd College.
 
The Lynx (4-3) jumped to a 12-0 lead over the game's opening 4:31, but it was a nip-and-tuck affair for the remainder of the contest.
 
Morgan shot 7-for-13 from the field while also swiping a career-high seven steals. She took over in the second half, posting 17 points and six steals while helping the Rangers play Rhodes even at 40-40 over the final 20 minutes.
 
Senior forward Jamie Struble added 12 points and five rebounds for Drew (3-6) while sophomore forward Gianna Pica contributed nine points and three steals. Sophomore guard Maddie Beyer chipped in with eight points for the Rangers.
 
Kearstyn Seay paced Rhodes with 14 points.
 
After the Lynx' quick start, the Rangers held Rhodes to just two points over the remainder of the first quarter. Drew trailed 14-3 at the end of the period, but used a 6-0 spurt midway through the second quarter to draw within five. Struble sandwiched a pair of layups around a Pica bucket and it was a 17-12 game with 6:40 left in the first half. However, the Lynx ended the stanza on a 12-4 run to assume a 29-16 lead at the intermission.
 
The Rangers closed to within single digits on three occasions in the second half. Morgan scored five straight points to make it 41-32 with 2:51 left in the third quarter, and less than a minute later Beyer nailed a 3-pointer to put the score at 44-35. But Rhodes closed the quarter on a surge and led 50-37 heading into the final period.
 
Freshman guard Sarah Smout connected on a jumper with 8:37 left in the game to pull Drew to within 50-41. But the Lynx answered with the next four points and led by at least 13 the rest of the way.
 
The Rangers conclude their Florida trip on Wednesday, when they face Russell Sage College at 11 a.m.