MADISON, N.J. – Junior forward Gianna Pica scored a career-high 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for her first collegiate double-double and the Drew University women's basketball team captured its season and home opener with a 62-55 victory over local rival Saint Elizabeth University Tuesday evening in Baldwin Gym.
 
Junior guard Maddie Beyer added 10 points, a career-high eight rebounds, and four steals for the Rangers, who used a 9-2 surge midway through the fourth quarter to break open a close game.
 
Sophomore guard Alice Altomare came off the bench to score a career-high 11 points for Drew while classmate Amy Rachilla contributed 10 points. Sophomore guard Miabella Diaz pitched in with four assists.
 
Mya Davis led the Eagles (1-1) with 17 points while Paige Neal grabbed 14 rebounds.
 
With the Rangers holding a 48-45 lead, Beyer kicked off Drew's late run with two free throws at the 7:48 mark. Diaz followed up with a pair at the stripe to make it 52-45, then made a steal before finding Beyer for a fast-break lay-up to give the hosts a 54-45 advantage with 5:22 left, prompting a Saint Elizabeth timeout.
 
A steal and lay-up from Rachilla capped Drew's outburst, making it 57-47 with 3:21 to go. The Eagles were unable to get closer than six down the stretch.
 
It was a tight game in the early going and the two sides played to an 18-18 tie in the opening quarter in which both sides shot over 40 percent from the field. The Rangers edged in front 28-26 at the half and nudged their lead to 38-33 following back-to-back 3-pointers from Altomare midway through the third quarter. Pica added a jumper to push Drew's advantage to seven, but the Eagles came all the way back to tie it at 42-42. Beyer hit a pair of free throws to give the Rangers a 44-42 lead heading into the final quarter.
 
Drew led 48-42 on a Rachilla layup with 8:42 left before Ashley Phillip connected on a 3-pointer, cutting the deficit in half for Saint Elizabeth before the Rangers embarked on their decisive run.
 
The Blue and Green return to action on Saturday, when they host Montclair State University in a non-conference outing starting at 2 p.m.