Mal Vishwanath
On January 27, the Drew University men’s basketball team maintained their hold on first place in the Landmark Conference with a 75-53 victory over Goucher. The Rangers now stand with a 14-5 record overall and a 7-1 record in conference play.
Sky Harris (‘19) led the team with a career-high 19 points, securing the Ranger’s victory with a 3-minute scoring burst of 13 in the second half. Riley Collins (‘20) tallied 15 points throughout the game, and Nate Aldrich (‘19) had 12, along with 11 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season. Yonathan Napoleon (‘18) contributed 12 points and nine boards to assist the Rangers in their 43-36 lead in rebounds. Dan Roibal (‘19) distributed four assists for the Rangers as they shot 46 percent from the floor. Drew shot nearly 31 percent from long range and 75 percent from the free-throw line.
After Goucher started with a 13-7 lead, the Rangers rallied with an 8 point run to take the lead. With the score tied at 17-17, Malachi Walker (‘21) started a 15-0 Ranger run for Drew to regain the lead. At the half, Drew’s lead had grown to 9. The Rangers then went on a 14-2 run followed by an 11-0 spurt to extend their lead and clutch their seventh straight home victory.
The Rangers visited Elizabethtown on Tuesday, sweeping the Blue Jays for the third time this season. They narrowly escaped with a victory, edging Elizabethtown out 85-78. The Rangers were down by 10 with less than 10 minutes in the game, but they were able to end the game on a 27-10 run to pull ahead for the victory. Collins began the comeback rally by sinking a trey with 8:43 left in the game. Aldrich and Napoleon then piled on with a series of layups and free throws to secure the lead for the Rangers, despite a late rally by Elizabethtown.
Aldrich recorded his second double-double in a row, his ninth of the season, with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Darius Reiter (‘19) finished with 19 points, draining six treys. Collins added 16 points and four assists to the campaign, with Napoleon contributing 13 points along with six assists and six rebounds.
Drew is currently ranked first in Landmark Conference standings; they will fight to maintain their rank as they travel to Catholic on Saturday for a 2 p.m. matchup. The Cardinals are currently ranked second in the conference.
