MADISON, N.J. – The Moravian College women's basketball team defeated Landmark Conference rival Drew University, 58-50 Friday evening. With the victory the Greyhounds (14-9, 7-5 Landmark) clinched their 11th straight postseason appearance.
Sophomore forward Logan Cavanaugh got the Rangers (8-15, 4-8 Landmark) on the board first with a quick layup right off the tip-off. Senior forward Alexandra Blair answered right back with a bucket of her own to knot the game at two. Drew then went on a 6-0 run to take an 8-2 lead three and half minutes into the contest.
The Greyhounds then went on a run of their own to bring them within one point of the lead at 10-9 after junior guard Amanda Kreuder drove to the hole for two points. The Rangers responded with back-to-back layups from senior forward Victoria Ault and classmate guard Katherine Luby to go up 14-9 with 13 minutes left in the first half.
At the 6:43 mark of the first half, sophomore forward Laura Jordan would hit an easy jumper. Jordan would steal the ball on the next possession and set up sophomore guard Katie O'Rourke for another jump shot to bring Moravian within one point of the lead at 20-19. Three minutes later, Drew would start a 7-0 run, which included a three-pointer from senior guard Danielle Barber to put the Rangers up 28-21 with 2:47 remaining in the half.
Free throws from freshman forward Alexis Wright and a three from the corner from senior guard Hilary Murray would bring the Hounds back within two points of the lead at 28-26.
After a basket from junior guard Whitney MacKay, the Greyhounds answered with a three-pointer from sophomore guard Danielle Brogan to bring Moravian within one point of the lead at 30-29. The Rangers would take the lead into the locker room.
Moravian shot 31-percent from the field while Drew shot 47-percent from the field in the first half. The Greyhounds have out rebounded the Rangers 23 to 15, but Drew committed three less turnovers in the half. Murray led Moravian in the first half six points and two assists while Barber led Drew with seven points and eight assists in the first half.
O'Rourke got the Greyhounds on the board first in the second half with a layup to retake the lead at 31-30. A deep jumper from Cavanaugh would give the lead right back to the Rangers on the next possession. Then a three-pointer from MacKey would extend Drew's lead to 35-31 three minutes into the half.
With a layup from Wright and a deep three from Jordan the Greyhounds would take the lead back at 36-35, five minutes into the second half. Sophomore guard Alyssa Hann then drove it in for an easy layup to push Moravian's lead to 38-35. Blair would push the Hounds lead to five points at 42-37 with a layup at the 12 minute mark of the second half.
Back-to-back jumpers from Barber would bring Drew within one point of the lead at 42-41 with 10:34 remaining in the game. Sophomore guard Brianna Reich would give the lead back to the Rangers at 46-45 with a layup on the next possession.
Kreuder went on her own run with 5:39 left in the contest, as she hit back-to-back shots to put Moravian back up 50-45. Wright would then slash to the hoop for the layup to push the Greyhounds lead to seven points with 3:47 remaining in the game.
Kreuder and Jordan would continue the Hounds run as they would go for back-to-back layups to put Moravian up 56-45 with 2:24 left in the game.
Ault would end Moravian's 10-0 run with a layup of her own to bring Drew within nine points of the lead. Barber added a rainbow three to cut the Greyhounds lead to 56-50 with 1:11 left in the contest. Two free throws from Murray would seal the victory for the Greyhounds as they won 58-50.
Wright finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots while Kreuder totaled 11 points and four boards. Jordan had nine points and five rebounds while Murray had nine points. O'Rourke finished with a career-high 11 rebounds to go with her six points while Blair also had 11 boards.
Barber led Drew with a double-double off of 14 points and ten assists. Cavanaugh had 12 points while MacKay totaled nine points and six rebounds. Ault brought down six boards to go with her eight points.
Moravian shot 38-percent from the field while Drew shot 32-percent from the field for the game. The Greyhound held the edge in rebounds at 36 to 24 while the Rangers committed eight less turnovers.
Moravian travels to Landmark Conference foe the United States Merchant Marine Academy tomorrow, February 11th. The game is scheduled for 2 p.m.
