Gophers Do It with Early Three-Point Barrage, Defense
Drew's 12-Point First Half Represents All-Time Low for
Opponent
February 13, 2010
MADISON, N.J. — Goucher made all four of its three-point
field goal attempts in the first 5:52 of today's Landmark
Conference game against Drew and that allowed the Gophers to jump
in front, 13-2. The Gophers also held the Rangers to 12 points in
the opening 20 minutes, an all-time low for points allowed in a
half by a program in just its 20th year of existence.
But that early double-digit advantage would be wasted and the
record-setting defensive performance would mean little unless head
coach Leonard Trevino's squad came away with a victory. Drew did
battle back to grab a shortlived one-point lead midway through the
second half, but the Gophers regained control of the contest and
went on to defeat the Rangers, 55-49.
Shane Yambor (Burtonsville, Md./Paint Branch)
launched the first three shots from three-point range for Goucher
to account for the nine points he tallied in the first half. Yambor
also was awarded an assist on the three-pointer by Micah
Perry (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) that produced the
13-2 score with 14:08 remaining before halftime.
Over the final 7:05 of the first half, the two teams combined to
go 2-for-17 from the field and commit six turnovers. Drew's only
basket during that stretch was a layup by Kyle Joyce that allowed
the Rangers (7-17, 3-10 Landmark) to close to within 20-12; the
Gophers (7-15, 5-7 Landmark) scored their final points of the
period on a three-pointer by Pat Bailey (Rockville,
Md./Magruder) with 3:08 showing on the clock.
The 12 points scored by Drew is two fewer than the Gophers gave up
in the first half of a game against Mary Washington back on January
13, 1999.
Bailey knocked down another three-pointer to open the scoring in
the second half, extending Goucher's lead to 26-12. Drew, however,
answered with a run of nine consecutive points to reduce its
deficit to 26-21, and eventually the Rangers caught and passed the
Gophers when Joyce made a pair of free throws with 10:32 left to
play.
Just :04 after Joyce's two free throws, the Gophers regained the
lead on a layup by Kyle Gladden (Baltimore,
Md./Lansdowne), the opening salvo of what turned out to be
eight unanswered points by Goucher. Perry supplied five of the
points during the run, which placed Drew in a seven-point hole with
7:30 remaining.
Yambor, who had been quiet on the offensive end since scoring nine
of Goucher's first 10 points, nailed two more three-point shots
down the stretch, both times after the Rangers had rallied to make
in a one-possession game. The first one provided the Gophers with a
40-35 cushion with exactly 4:00 left to play and the second put his
team up by six (43-37) at the 3:25 mark.
With Bailey standing at the line for six of the attempts, the
Gophers were a perfect 10-of-10 on foul shots during the final
:40.
By going 5-for-6 on three-point tries, Yambor accumulated 15
points in the contest to capture scoring honors for Goucher. Bailey
and Perry furnished the Gophers with 12 and 11 points,
respectively.
The Rangers, who were a miserable 5-for-28 from the field (.179)
in the first half, had two double-digit scorers in Joyce (17
points) and Mike Mayes (14).