MADISON, N.J. – Junior forward Gianna Pica scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds while sophomore guard Alice Altomare tossed in a career-best 14 points and the Drew University women's basketball team downed Moravian University 70-55 in its Landmark Conference opener Wednesday evening in Baldwin Gym.
 
Sophomore guard Amy Rachilla contributed 10 points and a career-high-tying seven assists for the Rangers (2-1, 1-0 LC), who broke the game wide open with a 17-8 run in the fourth quarter that gave the team an insurmountable 20-point lead with 2:05 remaining.
 
Both Pica and Altomare shot 4-for-7 from 3-point range, marking a career-high in 3s made for both players.
 
Junior forward Brenna Hezel added a career-high eight points to go with three blocked shots for Drew while Juliana Vassallo scored 10 points to lead the Greyhounds (1-2, 0-1 LC).
 
The Rangers nearly led from start to finish, as Moravian led only once on the night – when it was 2-0. Drew responded with a 10-1 run and pushed its lead to 10 (19-9) following back-to-back triples from Altomare late in the quarter. The Greyhounds scored the final three points of the period and it was a 19-12 game after 10 minutes of play.
 
Moravian crept to within four on three occasions in the second quarter, the last coming on a 3-pointer from Emma Altmire that made it 27-23 with 2:18 on the clock. But junior guard Maddie Beyer answered with a trey for the Rangers and the hosts led 30-23 at the break.
 
The Greyhounds scored the first two buckets of the second half to make it a three-point game, but Drew answered with a jumper from Beyer and a 3-pointer from Pica. A 5-0 spurt midway through the quarter pushed the Rangers' lead back into double digits and they led 47-36 heading into the final period.
 
Moravian trailed 50-39 following a 3 from Sofia Squizziato before Drew embarked on its game-breaking run. Five different Rangers scored during the decisive stretch, which was capped by Pica's final 3-ball of the night that made it 67-47 with just over two minutes to play.
 
The Rangers continue Landmark Conference play on Saturday, when they host Goucher College starting at 2 p.m.