Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer

Moravian Rallies from 23-Point Second Half Deficit for Win Over Drew in Landmark Conference Action

Junior guard C.J. Weber brings the ball up the court in Johnston Hall in the first half versus Drew University. Photo by Joshua Stout '23
Junior guard C.J. Weber brings the ball up the court in Johnston Hall in the first half versus Drew University. Photo by Joshua Stout '23

BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian University men's basketball team rallied from a 23-point deficit with just over 13 minutes to play to post a 91-88 win over visiting Drew University in Landmark Conference action Tuesday afternoon in Johnston Hall in front of a raucous crowd from William Penn Elementary School. 

How It Happened

  • The Rangers netted the first two points of the contest before a three-pointer from sophomore guard/forward Michael Leonardo put the Hounds ahead 3-2. Drew scored the next five points while the Blue and Grey retook a lead at 9-7 on a three-pointer from junior guard C.J. Weber at the 17:01 mark. The contest remained close with junior forward Mike DiPietro tying the game for the third time at 18-18 with 11:09 left in the opening half before an 18-2 run by Drew had the Rangers up 36-20 with 6:14 until the intermission
  • The Hounds slowly chipped away and closed within eight points at 41-33 on a three-pointer from freshman guard Porter Kelly with 3:08 on the clock. Kelly added a three-point play in the final seconds of the half to make it a 46-40 game for the Rangers as the teams headed to the locker room
  • Porter began the second half with a three-pointer and another three-point play as the Greyhounds knotted the score for the fourth time at 46-46. Drew answered with a 21-0 to move ahead 67-46, and the Rangers led by 23 points at 71-48 with 13:12 still to play. Moravian began to slowly close the gap once again, getting within nine points at 75-66 on a three-pointer from junior guard Alex Dietz with 7:54 remaining
  • The Rangers made it a 12-point contest at 79-67 just over a minute later before the Greyhounds netted 13 of the next 15 points to pull within a point at 81-80 with 3:58 to go after another three-pointer by Dietz. Weber gave the Hounds the lead back at 83-81 on a trey with three minutes to go. Drew answered with four points to move ahead 85-83. Weber drained another three-pointer to give Moravian the lead for good at 86-85 with 1:23 left. The Blue and Grey sealed the comeback with free throws from freshman Marquis Ratcliff and Dietz in the final 16.2 seconds. The Greyhounds finished the contest on a 43-17 run after falling behind by 23 points

Inside the Numbers

  • Moravian had five players in double figures led by Dietz, who netted 18 points to go with two rebounds and a pair of assists. Ratcliff finished with 16 points, seven boards and two assists while Kelly tossed in 15 points to go with four assists, two steals and two rebounds
  • Weber and DiPietro both had 12 points with DiPietro adding a pair of assists. Leonardo just missed a triple-double with career highs of 11 assists, which is also a new school record, and 11 rebounds to go with nine points
  • Junior guard Mark Howell scored four points while sophomore forward Nate Santiago added three points and three boards. Freshman forward Uma Kalu contributed two points while graduate student guard Danny Cooper had a pair of rebounds before leaving early with an injury
  • The Greyhounds shot 29-for-51 from the floor, 13-for-23 beyond the three-point arc and 20-for-27 at the foul line
  • The Hounds had a 33-26 edge on the boards
  • Earlier in the day, both the Moravian men's and women's basketball teams went down the street to William Penn Elementary School for a Cops N Kids reading event, then the entire student body from William Penn attended the game in Johnston Hall with a group of students participating in a contest at halftime 

Up Next for the Greyhounds

  • Friday, January 13 vs. Juniata College, 4:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, January 18 at Goucher College, 7:00 p.m.