Gophers Tie Record for Consecutive OT Games

Gophers Tie Record for Consecutive OT Games

Nov. 25, 2007

BALTIMORE, Md. - Goucher tied an NCAA Division III record today by going into overtime for a third consecutive game. All three of those games were part of the third annual Provident Pride of Maryland Tournament, and by losing to Washington (Md.), 74-73, this afternoon, the Gophers finished the tournament in eighth place.

Three straight OT games is something that has been done seven times by a Division III men's basketball program, most recently by McMurry in 2002-03.

Overtime was hardly a consideration when the Shoremen (2-2) opened up a 16-point lead with 1:55 remaining in the first half, but the Gophers tallied the final five points of the period to narrow their deficit to 36-25 at the break.

Goucher went on an even more significant run to begin the second half, outscoring the Shoremen, 17-0, over the first seven minutes. A pair of free throws by Marcus Cotton (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) with 15:05 remaining in regulation created a 36-36 tie and the Gophers (1-3) took their first lead of the contest on their next possession on a basket by Cameron Brown (Baltimore, MD/Owings Mills).

By the time the Shoremen scored their first points of the second half, Goucher had assumed a six-point lead. The Gophers would never relinquish the lead during regulation, but their cushion was only two points when Washington's Tim Kohlrus knocked down a pair of free throws with :00.5 showing on the clock to tie the score at 64-64 and send the game into overtime.

The two teams were never separated by more than two points during the five-minute extra session. A pair of free throws by Miguel Negron (Bel Air, MD/Bel Air) with :31 left to play erased a two-point advantage for Washington, but the Shoremen regained the lead on a free throw by Kohlrus :17 later. Kohlrus, who finished with a career-high 35 points to lead all scorers, missed his second attempt, but the Gophers missed a short jumper just before the buzzer sounded that would have won the game had it gone in.

Eleven players got into the scoring act for Goucher, but only Cotton and Ian Brown (Durban, South Africa/Glenwood Boys) finished in double figures. Cotton delivered 14 points off the bench and Brown supplied the Gophers with 10 points and a game-high nine rebounds.

Darrin Boswell II (Philadelphia, PA/Joppatowne), who tallied nine points, was Goucher's representative on the all-tournament team. He averaged 15.0 points in the Gophers' three tournament games.