Box Score

 Madison, NJ … For the second straight game, The College of New Jersey men's basketball team had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but a three-point shot caromed off the back rim as Drew University held on for a 69-66 victory on Saturday afternoon in Madison, NJ.
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The Lions (2-8) trailed by double digits with seven minutes to play, but fought back to put pressure on the host Rangers (4-5) late in the contest. But Drew did just enough to fend off TCNJ to secure its fourth win of the season.
 
TCNJ held an advantage in nearly every statistical category. They out-rebounded Drew, committed fewer turnovers, registered more second chance points (12-5), and outscored the Rangers in points off the bench 30-8. But a flurry of three-pointers and the ability to get to the free throw line led Drew to the lone advantage that matters, which is points on the board.
 
Sophomore Jayson Johnson (Bordentown, NJ/Life Center Academy) led the Lions with a team-high 14 points, three assists, and three steals. Junior Matthew Rista (Point Pleasant, NJ/St. Anthony's) produced another solid offensive effort with 13 points, and senior Zach Friedrich (Berlin, NJ/East Stroudsburg South) finished with a season-best 11 points and seven rebounds.
 
The Rangers shot 46 percent from the floor and knocked down 11 three-point baskets in the game. John Ford hit five three-pointers, tallying 17 points and six boards. Mike Klinger hit three from behind the arc and led all scorers with 19 points. Luke Glass finished with 14 points, while Lucas Levenson had nine rebounds and six points in just nine minutes of action.
 
The Lions trailed 37-29 at the half. Drew came out hot and hit seven treys in the opening 20 minutes. Their lead grew to 11 when Glass hit a shot from the behind the arc at the 9:26 mark.
 
TCNJ battled back and cut the lead to a basket when Ryan Keegan (Farmingdale, NJ/Howell) dropped in a layup. Friedrich followed with a bucket in the paint to tie the match 27-27 with 4:23 left on the clock. The Rangers responded with a 7-0 run and held an eight point cushion at the break.
 
That lead increased to 13 points in the second half, but the Lions chipped away in the last 10 minutes of action. Rista buried a three-point shot with 1:23 to play to close the gap to 67-64. After Klinger hit a pair of free throws, Johnson drove to the basket and converted to make it 69-66 with 17 seconds to play.
 
Ford missed both free throws and Friedrich grabbed the rebound. Johnson got a good look for a shot at the buzzer, but his attempt hit the back rim as TCNJ suffered another narrow defeat.
 
Keegan scored a career-best 10 points in the game. Junior Alex Fox (Washington, NJ/Westwood) collected six rebounds on the defensive end.
 
The Lions are idle from competition for the next 13 days. They return to floor on Saturday, December 29 when they visit Western Connecticut State University for a 4 p.m. non-conference bout.