Drew men’s basketball opened their home campaign against Centenary University on Tuesday night with the Rangers coming away victorious with an eye-watering score of 100-74.
Though the game started out in Centenary’s favor with the Cyclones securing a six-point lead early on in the first half, it soon became a tough back-and-forth battle between the two teams before the Rangers pulled ahead slightly, rounding out the first half 46-42 in Drew’s favor.
The Rangers went on a 13-3 run to start the second half, leaving Drew up 59-47 with fifteen and a half minutes remaining in the half.
After another 16 and 5 run by the Rangers, Drew never maintained less than a 17-point lead over the Cyclones. The Rangers’ dominant performance showcased many talented athletes throughout the game.
A key figure that paved the way for the Rangers’ success in the game was Drew guard Josh Kline (‘25), who amounted 20 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and five steals over the course of his 24 minutes on the court.
Four other Rangers had standout performances during their time on the court, with all four scoring in the double digits and helping Drew secure its definitive victory over Centenary.
Guard Papie Roberts (‘25) contributed 19 points and six rebounds, while forward Peso Crump (‘25) landed a double double, with 10 points and 10 boards to go with his three blocks. Guards Pat Higgins (‘25) and Andrew Turco (‘24) posted 11 points each.
The Rangers play next on Nov. 17 in the Rose City Classic, co-hosted by Drew and Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham, where they will start out the competition by taking on John Jay College Friday evening.
Liam Gregory is a first-year exploring his major. Charlotte Wells is a senior majoring in English and French and minoring in humanities.
