Rangers Outscore Devils 18-4 Over Final 5:19 Including Overtime For 78-68 Win
MADISON, NJ–After taking in the scrimmage at Metuchen, the site took a trip up 287 North to FDU-Florham to see the Devils host the Drew Rangers in a battle of long time neighborhood rivals. The game that was known as the Battle of Madison Avenue was won by Drew last season (77-72) in front of a packed house at Drew. These two teams used to play in the same conference, but then Drew joined the relatively new Landmark Conference while FDU-Florham stayed in the Freedom Conference portion of the MAC (Middle Atlantic Conference).
Entering Wednesday night’s game, FDU-Florham was 2-6 on the season overall while Drew was 2-4 including an 0-1 mark in conference play. The Devils have been hit by bad luck coming into this contest. Four of the last five games had been decided by five points or less, and FDU-Florham had lost all of them. The Devils are 1-1 in the Freedom Conference though thanks to a 72-50 victory at home over Wilkes University on December 4th. Two nights later, the Devils lost a heartbreaker in overtime to Hunter College at home. Drew lost its most recent game to Keystone by a score of 70-51 on Monday night. Adam Katz entered Wednesday night’s game leading FDU in scoring with a 17.4 points per game average while senior center, Ricky Fetske, who became the 27th member of the 1,000 point club at the school, is averaging 11.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.
Meanwhile, for Drew, former Bridgewater-Raritan standout, Asmar Capers is averaging 20 points per game while Terrell Brown is chipping in with 10.7 points per game. GMC connections to this game are all on the FDU-Florham side this year. Former Bishop Ahr standout, Mike Williamson is playing in his second year at the school while former North Brunswick standout, Mark Gibson is also on the Devils roster. Andrew Biancosino, who played all four years at FDU-Florham after graduating from J.P. Stevens, is now on the coaching staff for the Devils. The latest edition of this rivalry was much like last year’s game. It was a back and forth affair that had to go to overtime before there was a winner. There were five lead changes and six ties in the contest with neither team having a lead bigger than 11 points, which didn’t come until late in the overtime.
Mike Mayes, a senior guard from Linden, who played high school ball at St. Mary’s of Elizabeth was the difference maker in this contest. He only had shot 2 of 8 overall from the floor, and scored 8 points while also collecting 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block in 36 minutes, but he came up big down the stretch. Over the final 5:19 of the contest including the overtime, Mayes scored six of his points and handed out two of his assists while collecting a rebound and a steal. The biggest play came when he took an outlet pass from Terrell Brown off a missed foul shot with six seconds to go in regulation, and drove the length of the court for a layup as time expired to force the game into overtime tied at 64-64. He then went 4 of 6 at the line in the extra session, and created havoc on the defensive side of the ball to help give the Rangers a 78-68 victory.
Drew’s 6’11 center, Drew Bulger, out of Staten Island turned in a double-double performance with 20 points on 9 of 14 shooting from the floor along with two free throws and 14 rebounds in 38 minutes. Capers chipped in with a 5 of 10 effort from the floor including 2 of 4 from the line while making 5 of 6 from the foul line for 17 points. The former Bridgewater-Raritan standout also had 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist. Terrell Brown also contributed with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. Meanwhile, FDU-Florham was led by Williamson, who had a game high 17 points on 7 of 12 shooting from the floor including a three, and a perfect 2 of 2 from the foul line while also picking up 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist. Will Green chipped in with a double-double of 14 points and a game high 15 rebounds while Adam Katz contributed with 12 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal. Derek Hall added 10 points and 7 boards.
For the game, Drew connected on 28 of 61 shots from the floor for 46 percent including 7 of 17 from beyond the arc while FDU-Florham was only 22 of 63 for 35 percent including 4 of 16 from long distance. Outside of Williamson and Green, the Devils only shot 10 of 43 from the floor. FDU also had struggles from the line with a 20 of 39 effort for 51 percent including a 4 of 12 showing by Green. Drew fared only slightly better from the charity stripe going 15 of 28 for 54 percent. FDU-Florham won the battle on the boards (47-43) including a 17-10 edge on the offensive glass. The Devils were also able to get the edge in second chance points (12-9). The Rangers won the turnover battle (15-17) and had more points off of turnovers (15-14). Drew also had more blocks (8-3) and steals (11-4). To see the complete statistical breakdown, check out the game stats page for this contest courtesy of the FDU-Florham athletics web site.
Getting to the game late, the site joined the action with 7:30 to go in the first half and Drew enjoying a 21-17 lead. The Rangers then made two free throws for a 23-17 advantage, and made it a nine point lead on a three pointer. Drew then outscored FDU-Florham by a 5-4 margin for a 31-21 lead before former Bishop Ahr standout, Mike Williamson, made a three pointer from the left side at the 3:45 mark, and then after the Devils made a technical foul shot, he drained a jumper to close the gap to 31-27 with 3:21 to play in the first half.
A short time later, Drew got back on the board with a three pointer from the right side for a 34-27 lead. FDU-Florham then missed an opportunity to get closer as Will Green missed a pair of foul shots. The Devils were able to recover though, and got another chance as Ricky Fetske drew a foul underneath, but he came up empty at the charity stripe with 1:48 to go in the first half. Drew then came down, and got a layup from Luke Glass for a 36-27 lead at the 1:30 mark. The Devils then dodged a bullet as Mike Mayes missed a layup attempt off the drive, and #50 missed on the follow. Williamson then got on the board again with a layup at the 33 second mark for a 36-29 score. Drew went into the locker room at the intermission with that same seven point lead. Williamson pumped in 15 points including seven in the final 7:30 of the first half.
The Devils opened up the second half with a three pointer by Katz from the left wing to pull within four at 36-32. Fetske then scored a layup off an inbounds pass underneath by Katz to close the gap to two at 36-34 with 18:07 to play. Drew tried to get on the board at the 17:37 mark, and did as Dara McKeon drew a foul, and made one of two from the line for a 37-34 lead. Derek Hall got that point back for FDU with a one of two showing of his own at the 17:22 mark. Cranford native Green then tied the game at 37-37 with a layup down low at the 15:45 mark. Following a timeout at the 15:38 mark, Mayes missed a layup, but Brown swiped a steal for a layup, and a 39-37 lead.
Following an earlier one of two showing at the line by Hall, Williamson got to the line, and scored his first points of the second half by making both foul shots for a 40-39 FDU-Florham lead. The Devils had a chance to go up even further, but McKeon drew a charge on Fetske at the 13:34 mark. It was the fourth personal foul for the South Jersey native, and he had to go to the bench. Williamson made a key defensive play when he forced a Drew turnover in the Ranger backcourt at the 13:09 mark, and then Green cashed it in with a jump hook for a 42-39 lead with 13 minutes to play. Green got on the board again when Williamson penetrated and dished to him for a layup attempt that drew a foul, and produced one of two from the foul line for a 43-39 lead.
FDU-Florham went up by six before McKeon connected on a three pointer at the 11:17 mark for a 45-42 Devils lead. FDU then got a basket and one of two at the line from Hall for a six point lead again, and had a chance to go up by more, but the Rangers got a steal for a layup by Brown, and the Devils called for time at the 9:36 mark with only a 48-44 edge. The game continued to go up and down, and back and forth as Katz connected from beyond the arc at the 9:22 mark for a 51-44 lead only to have Drew respond with a layup by Dylan Bulger as he was fouled, but missed the bonus free throw for the conventional three point play. Bulger scored again a short time later to draw the Rangers within three, but couldn’t get closer as Katz made a nice save that led to a layin by Hall, and then the Morris Hills standout sank two technical foul shots for a 55-48 lead with 7:45 remaining.
Drew stayed resilient though with a 9-0 run that included a three pointer by Kyle Joyce to tie the game at 55-55 with 5:42 left in regulation, and then a layup by Capers at the 5:15 mark for a 57-55 lead. Following a timeout, FDU responded with a layup down in the left low block by Green at the 4:02 mark for a 57-57 tie. On the next Drew possession, Capers drove into the key for a layup attempt, and drew a foul with 3:43 left. He made one of two from the charity stripe for a 58-57 lead. Katz then drilled a three from the left side at the 3:22 mark for a 60-58 edge. The Devils were able to get a stop on the next Drew possession as Mayes three point attempt hit back iron. Hall made a nice extra pass to Green for a layup attempt that drew a foul, but the freshman forward missed both foul shots.
Drew had a chance to get closer with a little more than two minutes to play, but Bulger missed the front end of a one and one. FDU-Florham couldn’t capitalize though as they were called for a shot clock violation although a shot attempt by Katz appeared to have grazed the front of the rim, and Williamson hit a triple with 1:30 to go. The Devils had another opportunity to score, but the Rangers drew an offensive foul with 48.9 seconds to go. Drew worked around for a shot, and got the ball to Bulger in the left low block, but he failed to hit the shot from up close, and Green grabbed the rebound, drew the foul, and made both free throws for a 62-58 lead with 28.8 seconds remaining. The Rangers continued to fight though as they came down the floor, and got a score from Bulger who followed a three point miss by Joyce to narrow the gap to two again with 20.4 seconds to go.
Forced to foul, Drew fouled senior George Twill with 18.7 seconds to play. The Mendham native made the first free throw, and then after a timeout, he made the second for a 64-60 lead. Drew got a floater to fall, and called timeout with the scoreboard reading 64-62 at the 10.1 second mark. The Devils were able to get the ball to Williamson, who then got the ball to Koko Karajelian, who was fouled with 6.8 seconds to go. With a chance to seal the victory, the FDU freshman from Cliffside Park missed both shots, and Brown got the rebound, thew an outlet pass to Mayes, who drove frantically down the floor, and made a layup as time expired to tie the score at 64-64, and force overtime. The extra session started right where it left off in regulation with Bulger scoring down low for a 66-64 lead. Twill then made one of two from the line with 4:15 left for a 66-65 Drew edge.
Mayes then put the Rangers up by three with two free throws at the 3:55 mark, and then forced a turnover that was converted by Brown for a 70-65 lead with 3:37 to go as FDU-Florham called for time. Mayes continued to create havoc with another steal, and drew a foul that resulted in a one of two showing from the charity stripe for a 71-65 lead with 2:33 to play in the extra session. The Devils got a break though when Bulger drew his fifth foul at the 2:26 mark. It didn’t matter though since Mayes was controlling the game, and penetrated and dished to Brown for a layup and foul that was converted into a three point play with just over two minutes to play. The Rangers went on to win from there by the final score of 78-68 as they outscored Drew by a margin of 18-4 over the final 5:19 of the contest. See the article on this game courtesy of the FDU-Florham athletics site.