MADISON, N.J. – Sophomore guard Maddie Beyer scored a career-high 18 points and shot 4-for-4 from 3-point range and the Drew University women's basketball team downed Moravian University 66-58 in a Landmark Conference tilt Wednesday evening in Baldwin Gym.
 
The Rangers (8-12, 6-7 LC), led for all but 2:02 and led by 16 midway through the fourth quarter before holding off a late Greyhound comeback.
 
Senior forward Jamie Struble added 12 points for Drew while freshman guard Amy Rachilla chipped in with 11 points while shooting 7-for-8 at the foul line. Sophomore forward Gianna Pica contributed nine rebounds for the Rangers.
 
Brielle Guarente scored all 18 of her points in the second half to lead Moravian (7-13, 6-7 LC).
 
The Rangers posted their top shooting performance of the season from 3-point range (46.2%) while notching their second-best marks from both the field (45.3%) and the foul line (85.7%, 10-12).
 
The two sides are now tied for fifth place in the Landmark Conference standings, holding a two-game lead over seventh-place Lycoming College and Wilkes University. The top-six teams reach the Landmark Conference playoffs.
 
It was a defensive battle in the early going, and Moravian led 7-6 with 2:12 left in the quarter. But that's when the Rangers closed the period on an 8-2 run to assume a 14-9 lead. Freshman guard Olivia Aliotta and Beyer kicked off the run with back-to-back 3-pointers before junior guard Izzy Lalo capped with a jumper in the closing seconds.
 
Neither side led by more than six in a tight second quarter, when the Rangers outscored Moravian 12-11. Sophomore forward Brenna Hezel dropped in a layup off a nice feed from Beyer with 29 seconds left to hand her team a 26-20 halftime advantage.
 
The Rangers heated up offensively in the third quarter, when it shot 53.8% from the field and outscored the Greyhounds 18-11. Leading 30-24, the hosts opened up some breathing room with a 14-4 run late in the period. Beyer scored seven points during the decisive stretch, and her jumper with 49 seconds left put her team up 44-28. Moravian converted a conventional 3-point play to make it a 13-point game heading into the final stanza.
 
Drew still enjoyed a 16-point advantage following a pair of free throws from Struble with 6:06 to go. But that's when Moravian answered with a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to six (53-47) with 2:08 remaining. However, that's when the Rangers answered with a pair of big buckets, as freshman guard Sarah Smout dropped in a layup before Pica nailed a long jumper to push the lead back into double figures with 1:23 left, and the Greyhounds were unable to draw closer than seven down the stretch.
 
The Rangers continue their season on Saturday, when they host Juniata College at 4 p.m. in another Landmark Conference showdown.