Garnet Cement 13-Point Win at Charity Stripe
Gophers Don't Shoot Well, Often at Free-Throw Line
December 11, 2008
SWARTHMORE, Pa. – Goucher shot better than 45 percent from
the field for only the second time all season and went 5-for-9 on
three-point attempts. It was at the free-throw stripe that head
coach Didi Cotton's Gophers struggled in this evening's game
against Swarthmore – struggled first of all to get there and,
once they got there, struggled to make their free throws.
Swarthmore was victorious, 75-62, and the discrepancy in free
throws played a major role in the outcome. The Garnet (4-4) didn't
shoot particularly well at the charity stripe (.583), but they
still made more free throws (21) than the Gophers even attempted
(17).
At one point during the first half, three consecutive possessions
for the Gophers (3-4) ended with a three-point field goal. The
first three-pointer was by Amy Smith (Logan Twp., N.J./Paulsboro)
and it cut a six-point lead for the Garnet in half. On the next
trip down, Leia Roberts-Brown (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop
Carroll) landed a shot from three-point range to create an 18-18
tie with 9:14 remaining before halftime.
The Gophers took their first lead of the contest on their next
possession when Elizabeth von Ende (Leawood, Kans./American Hebrew
Academy) drained a three-pointer to make the score 21-18. Over the
final 8:20 of the opening period, the lead changed hands a total of
nine times and Swarthmore enjoyed a 36-34 advantage at
halftime.
Although the Gophers closed to within a point on three separate
occasions in the second half, the Garnet never did surrender the
lead. Kathryn Stockbower's lay-up with 2:40 remaining provided
Swarthmore with a 65-59 cushion, and although that turned out to be
the home team's final field goal of the contest, the Garnet made 10
of their 14 free-throw attempts down the stretch to ice their
non-conference victory.
The Gophers wound up with a .453 shooting percentage (24-for-53),
but were just 9-of-17 (.529) at the free-throw line.
Three of Goucher's five starters scored in double figures: Amber
Smith (Baltimore, Md./Institute of Notre Dame) led the way with 15
points, Roberts-Brown finished with 12 points and Kelsey Myette
(Binghamton, N.Y./Seton Catholic Central) chipped in with 11
points.