MADISON, N.J. – The Drew University men's basketball team broke the program record for 3-pointers made in a season, but Wilkes University topped the Rangers 97-89 in a big Landmark Conference tilt Wednesday evening in Baldwin Gym.
 
The Rangers (17-5, 10-5 LC) are now tied with Wilkes (17-5, 10-5 LC) for third place and trail second-place Susquehanna University by one game in the Landmark Conference standings with three games left in the season.
 
Drew knocked down 15 3-pointers and have now connected on 278 triples for the season – 11 more than the previous school record set by the 2019-20 squad.
 
Junior guard Pat Higgins posted 22 points, six rebounds, and four assists for the Rangers while junior forward Peso Crump added 14 points, nine rebounds, and a pair of blocked shots. Junior guard Josh Kline finished with 13 points, six rebounds, and five assists, and sophomore forward David Musial contributed 10 points, six boards, and three blocks.
 
Cayden Merrifield led the Colonels with 36 points and 11 assists while shooting 15-for-15 at the foul line. Trent Fisher added 22 points, 17 rebounds, and five blocks for Wilkes.
 
It was a tight affair in the opening half, when there were four ties and four lead changes and neither side led by more than six. The Rangers were in front for all but 3:40 of the period, however, and led 37-31 on a pair of free throws from Higgins with 3:57 left in the half. Wilkes tied it with six unanswered points, but the Rangers outscored the Colonels 9-3 to end the period, with junior guard Papie Roberts draining a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to put the hosts up 46-40 at the break.

Another trey from Roberts put Drew on top 63-57 with 12:36 remaining, but that's when Wilkes used an 8-0 run to grab the lead with 8:59 remaining. Sophomore forward Kevin Cronin nailed a 3-pointer to put the Rangers up 68-67 with 7:54 on the clock before the Colonels embarked on a 10-0 run to go up nine (77-68) with 4:51 left.
 
Drew answered with a pair of free throws from Musial and a 3-pointer from Crump to make it a four-point game with 3:32 to go. But Wilkes used an 8-3 spurt to push its lead back to nine, and the Rangers were unable to get closer than seven down the stretch.
 
The Rangers return to Landmark Conference action on Saturday, when they visit 15th-ranked Catholic University at 2 p.m.