TOWSON, Md. – The Drew University women's basketball erased a 14-point second-half deficit, but host Goucher College used a late 8-0 run to edge the Rangers 56-54 in a Landmark Conference tilt Saturday afternoon.
 
Junior guard Miabella Diaz posted 11 points and six rebounds for Drew (12-9, 7-7 LC), which trailed 38-24 three minutes into the third quarter before storming back to take the lead midway through the fourth quarter.
 
Senior guard Maddie Beyer added 11 points for the Rangers senior center Brenna Hezel netted eight points. Sophomore guard Jocelyn Kingsley contributed eight rebounds and three steals.
 
Aniya McDaniel paced Goucher (7-14, 3-11 LC) with 18 points.
 
Leading by eight at the half, Goucher outscored the Rangers 9-3 to open the third quarter to open up its aforementioned 14-point advantage. But Drew came right back with an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to 40-32 with 2:11 remaining, and an old-fashioned 3-point play from Hezel with 11 ticks showing cut the gap to 43-38 heading into the final period.
 
The Rangers used an 11-0 run over a four-minute span to assume a 49-45 lead with 4:59 left in the game. Diaz kicked off the outburst with consecutive 3-pointers before Beyer broke a two-and-a-half minute scoring drought by the two teams when she knocked down a triple of her own to put the Rangers up 47-45 with 5:55 remaining.
 
Diaz hit a pair of free throws before Hezel knocked down a jumper to give Drew a 51-48 lead with 4:18 to go. But that's when Goucher went on its late 8-0 run. Lauryn Towns put the Gophers back on top on a layup with 51 seconds left before Nia Edens hit a pair of free throws to make it a three-point game (54-51) with 17 seconds remaining. The Rangers then committed a turnover and was forced to foul with eight seconds left, and Edens knocked down two more foul shots to make it a five-point game. Junior guard Alice Altomare hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds for Drew to set the final score.
 
The Rangers led for nearly the entire first quarter, and a layup from Kingsley put the Rangers up 16-12 heading into the second period. Beyer connected on a 3-pointer on Drew's first possession of the second quarter to give the Rangers their largest lead of the game at 19-12.
 
The Gophers held the Rangers to two points over the remainder of the quarter and assumed a 29-21 halftime advantage. 
 
Drew continues its season on Wednesday, when it hosts Wilkes University at 7 p.m. in another Landmark Conference matchup.