MADISON, N.J. --- Junior guard Terrell Brown scored on a lay-up at the buzzer to lift host Drew University to a 75-73 Landmark Conference victory over Moravian College Friday evening, spoiling a career high 28 points from Greyhounds senior forward Jeff Cullinan.
With the loss, Moravian falls to 12-11 overall and 7-5 in Landmark Conference action. The Greyhounds are now tied for third in the conference standings with two games to play. Drew improves to 6-17 overall and 4-8 in conference play with two wins over Moravian.
The Greyhounds opened the scoring with a lay-up from junior guard Garrett Johnson, and a three-pointer by Cullinan pushed Moravian's lead to 5-0. Senior guard Asmar Capers would get the Rangers on the board at 19:22 with a lay-up, and Drew took a 9-5 lead on a three-pointer from Capers at 16:25. Moravian junior guard D.J. Strayhorn stopped Drew's run with a lay-up, and a three-pointer by freshman guard Izel Dickerson pulled the Greyhounds within a point, 11-10, with 15:30 to go in the first half.
The Greyhounds moved back in front, 14-11, on baskets from Dickerson and Johnson, and Moravian led 16-13 after a basket from senior forward Marcus Hardy,who returned to action after missing the last six games with an injury. The Rangers would retake the lead and led 19-16 after a basket from sophomore guard Bobby Falconiero with 11:28 before the intermission.
Moravian would pull back in front, 25-22, with 8:09 on the clock on a three-pointer from Strayhorn, and Cullinan added a three-point play for a 28-22 advantage. Brown had a three-point play to get Drew within a point, 30-29, with 6:10 on the clock; however, Greyhounds freshman guard Kevin Pankonien hit a three-pointer to push Moravian's lead back to four points. The Greyhounds held onto the advantage for the rest of the half and headed to the locker room with a 40-36 lead.
Moravian was 17-for-34 from the floor (50 percent), four-for-eight behind the three-point line and two-for-four at the foul line in the opening 20 minutes of the game, and the Greyhounds had 20-16 edge in rebounds in the first half. Drew connected on 12-of- 30 field goal attempts (40 percent), two-of-eight three-pointers and ten-of-11 free throws. Both teams had ten turnovers at the intermission.
The Rangers scored the opening points of the second half on a three-pointer from sophomore guard John Ford while Cullinan connected on a pair of free throws for Moravian's first points after the intermission. Cullinan added a three-pointer to give the Greyhounds a 45-39 edge at the 17:54 mark, but Drew scored six straight points and tied the game at 45-45 on a lay-up from freshman guard Steve Hydzik with 15:28 to play.
The teams went over three minutes without scoring before a lay-up by Ford put Drew ahead 47-45 with 12:54 left in the game. Cullinan netted two free throws to tie the game again for Moravian, but Ford hit another three-pointer as the Rangers moved back in front 50-47. Drew would open up its largest lead of the game, seven points at 54-47 after two free throws by Capers with 11:17 to go.
Moravian pulled within three points, 56-53, on a lay-up from senior guard/forward Mark Koelbel but Ford connected on two free throws to push the Rangers' lead back to five at 58-53 with 7:36 remaining. Cullinan had a three-point play with 5:38 left in the game as he reached 20 points for the first time in his career and pulled the Greyhounds within two points, 60-58.
Cullinan had another three-point play at 4:47 to get Moravian within a point, 62-61, but Capers answered with a lay-up for Drew. Ford connected on a three-pointer with three minutes to play to give the Rangers a 67-62 advantage. Cullinan would convert on another three-point play with 59 seconds remaining to pull Moravian within two points again, 69-67.
Senior forward Dara McKeon hit a basket to put the Rangers up by four points before Johnson hit a three-pointer with 15 seconds to play to cut the lead to 71-70. Falconiero hit two free throws with 12 seconds remaining to give Drew a 73-70 edge before Johnson hit a three-pointer with three seconds to go with tie the game. Brown would score the winning points at the buzzer for the Rangers.
Drew was 14-for-30 from the floor (46.7 percent) in the second half while shooting three-for-12 behind the three-point line and eight-for-ten at the foul line. The Rangers finished the game with a 37-36 edge in rebounds and committed 23 turnovers while Moravian had 21 miscues. The Greyhounds were just 11-for-30 from the field (36.7 percent), three-for-seven on three-pointers and eight-for-ten at the foul line in the second half.
Johnson had his third double-double of the season for the Greyhounds with 16 points and 11 rebounds to go with four assists while Cullinan grabbed four boards to go with his career high 28 points. Hardy had eight points, five rebounds and a pair of blocked shots in his return to the Moravian line-up while Strayhorn finished with seven points, three assists and two boards. Dickerson contributed five points, four assists and three steals while Koelbel had six points and five rebounds off of the bench.
Capers led Drew with 23 points to go with four rebounds and two steals while Ford had 13 points, ten rebounds and a pair of assists. Hydzik finished with 12 points while Brownhad nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Rangers. Falconiero tossed with eight points to go with three boards.
Moravian will return to action on Saturday, February 11 in the team's final road Landmark Conference game of the season at The United States Merchant Marine Academy tipping off at 4:00 p.m.
