The Drew Rangers took on the Scranton Royals in the Baldwin Gym on Wednesday in what proved to be a crushing loss for the Rangers. The game ended in a decisive 87- 47 victory for Scranton, marking the third victory of 40+ points for the Royals in their first eight games this season.
Scranton took the lead early in the game, going 9-2 in the first five minutes of the game. A series of one-sided runs gave the Royals a 19-point lead going into halftime that they continued to consolidate throughout the second half, leading to a 40 point victory.
The Rangers struggled to get going on both sides of the ball as Scranton outscored Drew by at least eight points in every quarter. One of the few bright spots of the game for the Rangers was point guard Amy Rachilla (‘27), who poured in 12 points with two 3-pointers, both career records for her. Guard Madelyn Morgan (‘26) also contributed 10 points with an efficient 55% shooting average.
Speaking on the loss, Morgan remained optimistic about the team’s path moving forward. “We are going to learn from tonight and continue to grow as a team,” Morgan said. “It’s a learning experience and we’re all going to get better and move on to the next one.”
Scranton, a perennial powerhouse in Division III women’s basketball, came into the contest ranked 6th in the nation, averaging an impressive 78.0 points per game while giving up just 47.1. Undefeated both in conference and overall, the Royals entered the game against the Rangers coming off of a commanding 72-33 win over Juniata on Saturday, Dec. 2.
The Rangers also entered the game coming off a conference win, following their victory against Goucher College on Dec. 2 where 23 points from Jamie Struble (‘24) carried the Rangers to a win.
The Rangers look to bounce back this Saturday, Dec. 9 against conference rival Lycoming College in another home gym match up.
Devan Saturia is a sophomore majoring in biochemistry and minoring in public health.
Featured image courtesy of the Drew Rangers.
