MADISON, N.J. – The Drew University women's basketball team won a nailbiter versus Juniata College on Saturday in Baldwin Gym, edging the Eagles 55-54 in a Landmark Conference tilt.
 
The Rangers (10-5, 5-3 LC) led by eight with 3:23 remaining, only to see Juniata pull to within one on a 3-pointer from Steph Emert with 14 seconds left. Junior guard Maddie Beyer then hit a pair of big free throws to make it 55-52 with 10 seconds to go before Drew held the Eagles to a layup as time expired.
 
Sophomore guard Amy Rachilla scored 16 points for the Rangers while junior forward Gianna Pica and sophomore guard Olivia Aliotta scored 11 points apiece. Beyer finished with seven rebounds while junior center Brenna Hezel grabbed six boards.
 
Hailey Sherman paced the Eagles (6-9, 3-5 LC) with 22 points.
 
In a defensive-minded game, the Rangers outscored Juniata 7-0 to start the game, blanking the Eagles over the opening 4:45. However, Juniata ended the quarter on a 9-2 run to assume an 11-9 lead.
 
The Eagles continued their run into the second period, scoring the first four points of the stanza to go up by six with 7:51 on the clock. But the Rangers snapped an eight-minute scoring drought when sophomore guard Alice Altomare drained back-to-back 3-pointers to pull her team even at 15-all.
 
Drew twice took the lead in the closing 4:11 of the half, but Juniata ended on a 7-1 run to assume a 24-20 halftime lead.
 
The Rangers trailed 29-23 with 6:26 showing in the third quarter but outscored the visitors 15-7 over the last five minutes of the period, capped by a layup from Aliotta to go up 38-36 heading into the final stanza.
 
After the Eagles scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 38-apiece, Drew opened up some breathing room with a 7-0 run. Aliotta and Pica kicked off the spurt with one basket each before Altomare canned her final trey of the game to make it 45-38.
 
Pica connected on a jumper to put the Rangers up 49-41 with 4:47 remaining, and Rachilla connected on a pair of free throws to give Drew a 51-43 lead with 3:23 to go.
 
Trailing by four inside the final minute, Juniata began to foul, and the Rangers split back-to-back trips to the line to go up 54-49 with 20 ticks showing, setting up the tight finish.
 
The Rangers continue their season on Wednesday, when they host No. 22-ranked Elizabethtown College at 7 p.m. in another Landmark Conference affair.