BETHLEHEM, Pa. --- The Moravian College women's basketball team dropped a 61-55 Landmark Conference decision to visiting Drew University Wednesday evening in Johnston Hall.
The Greyhounds fall to 10-6 overall and 2-3 in Landmark Conference action.
Junior guard Maddie Capuano led the Hounds with 17 points and three rebounds while junior forward Nadine Ewald added her seven double-double of the season and 19th of her career with 16 rebounds and 13 points to go with three steals, two blocked shots and a pair of assists. It is the third time in Ewald's career that she's grabbed 16 rebounds in a game, and she is now 19th all-time at Moravian with 550 rebounds while Capuano climbed to 23rd in the record books with 1,042 points.
Junior guard Karlie Brogan and sophomore guard Jennifer McClave each had nine points with Brogan grabbing six boards and McClave adding three assists and two rebounds. Senior guard/forward Emily Walls had six rebounds and three points while senior forward Ariana Caiati grabbed seven boards. Freshmen guards Linnaea Leister and Kayla Yoegel each had two points with Yoegel pulling down a career high four rebounds and Leister dishing out two assists. Senior guard Tyis Mullen added two boards.
The Greyhounds struggled shooting for the third straight game and made 20-of-78 field goal attempts, 5-of-19 three-pointers and 10-of-12 free throws in the contest. Moravian did have a 51-37 advantage on the boards including 28-7 on offensive rebounds while forcing Drew into 16 turnovers.
The Rangers scored the first four points of the game before Ewald drained a free throw for the Hounds. Capuano would hit a three-pointer and Ewald followed with a lay-up to cut the Drew lead to 9-8 midway through the first quarter. Moravian was also down 11-10 before the Rangers scored nine of the next 11 points, and Drew had a 21-14 advantage at the end of the first 10 minutes.
The Blue and Grey began the second quarter with a 6-0 run on two baskets from Brogan and two free throws by Capuano to close within 21-20. The Rangers answered with four points to push the advantage back to 25-20 before a 7-0 run from Moravian gave the Hounds their first lead when McClave drained a three-pointer at 3:33 for a 27-25 edge. Each team would only score once more in the half with the Greyhounds heading to the locker room with a 29-27 lead.
Drew scored first in the second half to tie the game again before Capuano connected on a three-pointer to put the Blue and Grey back in front. Brogan had the advantage at 35-31 with a three-pointer, and a lay-up from Ewald has the Hounds ahead 37-33 with 5:18 left in the third quarter. Leister broke a 37-37 tie with a jumper off the glass at the 3:27 mark but Drew scored the final four points of the quarter to lead 41-39 after 30 minutes of action.
The Rangers would go ahead by four points early in the fourth quarter before a lay-up from Ewald and a quick steal by Mullen followed by a jumper in the lane from McClave knotted the score for the fifth time at 45-45 with 7:25 remaining. Drew answered with a 7-0 run before the Greyhounds got back within two points, 52-50, on a jumper by Capuano with 1:58 to play but that would be as close as Moravian would get.
The Greyhounds are slated to return to action on Saturday, January 19 in a Landmark Conference game at Goucher College beginning at 2:00 p.m. in Towson, Maryland.
