Box Score Box Score
KINGS POINT, N.Y. (Dec. 3, 2014) – The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy men's basketball team hosted the Drew University Rangers on Wednesday night in the 2014-15 home- and Landmark Conference-opener at the Liebertz Gymnasium. Despite a close first half, Drew used an 18-2 run in the early stages of the second half to come out with an 88-71 victory. The Mariners fall to 1-5 (0-1 Landmark), while the Rangers improve to 4-2 (1-0 Landmark).
Junior David Smith (Lakewood, Wash.) recorded his second 20-point performance of the season, recording exactly 20 points, while also bringing down a team-best six rebounds. Two other Mariners scored in double-figures, as sophomore Matthew Miller (Augusta, Ga.) had 15 and freshman Robbie Kennedy (Spring Lake, N.J.) scored 14 points.
Three players scored 20-or-more points for Drew: junior Mike Klinger had a game-high 26 points, while classmate Kevin Herring II drained 21 points and junior Ozan Yucetepe contributed 20. Herring had five three-pointers in the second half, including three in a row during the run that opened the Rangers' lead up.
The first half was so close that both teams' largest leads were just six points and the lead changed a total of nine times. The Mariners started the game strong, building up that six-point lead (9-3) in the opening three-plus minutes of action. Drew took its first lead a little under two minutes later and play was back-and-forth from there. The Rangers eventually built up a six-point lead (38-36) with just 1:50 to play and looked to bring that momentum into the locker room, but USMMA responded with a 5-0 run to end the half down by just one point, 38-37.
A layup by junior Scott Dennin (Gilbertsville, Pa.) on the Mariners' first possession of the second half gave Merchant Marine its only lead of the stanza. Drew's lead got up to six twice again, including a 52-46 advantage at 16:07. USMMA cut the deficit down to three points at 15:14 when a layup by Smith made it 54-51, but shortly after that is when the Rangers got hot and went on the 18-2 run.
Drew hit four three-pointers in a row, including three-straight by Herring II. The Rangers' lead went from three points to 19 points, 72-53 at 9:07, over the course of five minutes and did not fall back below double-digits for the remainder of the game.
Merchant Marine returns to action on Saturday, when the squad will take on Landmark opponent Susquehanna University on the road. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Crusaders' Houts Gymnasium in Selinsgrove, Pa.
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