O'Farrell's Game-Tying Buzzer Beater And Isaacs Basket With 6.6 Seconds Left In OT Propels Goucher Men's Basketball To Win

TOWSON, Md. – Cameron Issacs (Owings Mills, Md./Randallstown) scored the game-winning basket with 6.6 seconds left to propel Goucher College past Catholic University of America 84-82 in overtime of a Landmark Conference men's basketball contest on Wednesday night. Isaacs shot would not have come to fruition without the heroics of Timmy O'Farrell (Davidsonville, Md./Archbishop Spalding), who stole the inbounds pass and drained a 3-pointer as time expired to send the game into overtime. 

After O'Farrell's clutch shot, the Gophers scored the first basket in overtime on a jumper by Montaz McCray (Baltimore, Md./Chapelgate Christian Academy) 37 seconds into the extra session. The Cardinals tied the game on a pair of free throws before Dwayne Morton (Waynesville, Mo./Waynesville) restored the host lead with a trey at the 3:19 mark for an 80-77 edge. The visitors and Kevin Bell (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora) traded baskets to maintain the 3-point lead with 2:18 on the clock. Catholic would tie the game thanks to going 3-for-4 from the free throw line with 33 seconds left. Isaacs then came across from right to left to the top of the foul line to swish the decisive basket with 6.6 seconds on the clock. The visitors had one last shot, but a 3-pointer hit the rim and out as time expired.

Gabe Ceribelli (Monkton, Md./Hereford) powered Goucher with 23 points including 18 points in the first half. Ceribelli went 7-for-9 from the floor, 6 of 8 from behind the arc and 3 of 3 from the line. The senior notched his second 20-point performance of the season and posted double figures for the first time in eight games. He has nine double-figure point performances this season and 17 in his career. He ranks second on the team with 11.3 points per game. 

Morton added 20 points off the bench. The junior registered his third 20-point performance of the season and 12th double-digit performance in his junior campaign. Morton leads the team with 13.4 points per game.

It marks the second time this season two players scored 20 points in the same game. It was the same duo of Ceribelli and Morton in a win against Cairn University on December 15. Ceribelli had 22 points and Morton added 21 points in that contest.

Pat Goralski (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) added 15 points and six rebounds. The junior matched his second-best scoring output of the season after scoring a season-high 16 points against Susquehanna University on January 5. The junior has registered eight double-figure performances in 2018-19. Goralski is averaging 8.8 points per game. 

In the first half, Goucher was staying with Catholic up until the first media timeout. The Cardinals then went on a 22-2 run to take a 29-11 lead midway through the first half.

The Gophers answered with a 27-5 run to grab a 38-34 lead with 2:11 left. The surge was powered by 15 points by Ceribelli on four 3-pointers and a traditional 3-point play.

Catholic came back to score the final six points of the frame to take a 40-38 lead going into the locker room.

The two teams battled back and forth for the first six minutes of the second half before the Cardinals took the lead. Catholic grabbed as large as a seven-point lead over the next 12 minutes, but with the visitor's holding a 73-67 lead Goucher closed regulation by scoring 8 of the final 10 points to send the game to overtime. 

Goralski started the game-tying run with a steal and layup. Hurt on the play, O'Farrell had to come in a make the free throw for Goralski to complete the traditional 3-point play to make it a 73-70 deficit. Morton then made it a one-point game with a basket in the paint with 1:22 on the clock. A Catholic layup restored a three-point lead with 61 seconds on the clock.

Over the next 58 seconds, the Cardinals missed a 3-pointer and two frontend free throws on 1-and-1's. The Gophers missed a layup, jumper, 3-ball and free throw in this stretch. Catholic then turned the ball over and O'Farrell drained the improbable 3-pointer to send the game to overtime where the home team was victorious. 

Isaacs finished the game with six points, five assists and two rebounds while O'Farrell had the four clutch points in the game-tying rally along with three rebounds and three assists.

Goucher shot 50.0 percent from the floor by connecting on 32 of its 64 shots. With 13 minutes left in the second half, the squad was shooting at a 57.1 percentage clip. It marks the second time this season the Gophers have shot over 50 percent after posting a season-high 52.2 percent against Christendom on December 8. 

The win snapped the Gophers seven-game losing streak and 23-game conference losing streak. 

Both coaching staffs wore sneakers as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week sponsored by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Week is a nationwide event when basketball coaches across the country unite for a common cause – saving lives from cancer! Coaches and their staff across the nation wear sneakers with their suits during games to raise awareness and help save lives from cancer by raising funds and encouraging people to educate themselves about cancer prevention, screening, and early detection.

Goucher returns to action on Saturday at Susquehanna University. Game time is 4 p.m.