Gophers Rally from 23 Down, Fall to Pride in 2OT
TOWSON, Md. - Goucher came a long way back tonight to set a new NCAA Division III record - and suffer another excruciating loss. The Gophers, who coming in had gone into overtime in their past three games, trailed Greensboro by as many as 23 points in the first half, yet at the end of regulation, the score was tied at 62-62.
Gophers Rally from 23 Down, Fall to Pride in 2OT
Fourth Straight OT Game Sets New NCAA Division III RecordNov. 30, 2007
TOWSON, Md. - Goucher came a long way back tonight to set a new NCAA Division III record - and suffer another excruciating loss.
The Gophers, who coming in had gone into overtime in their past three games, trailed Greensboro by as many as 23 points in the first half, yet at the end of regulation, the score was tied at 62-62.
The first five-minute overtime period ended with the the two teams still knotted up, this time at 70-70. The Gophers tallied the first four points of the second extra session, but the Pride (4-2) responded with an 8-0 run that carried them to an 86-78 victory.
According to the Official 2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Record Book, three straight overtime games is something that had been done seven times by a Division III men's program before Goucher did it this season. In breaking the Division III record tonight by going into overtime for a fourth straight game, Goucher tied the NCAA all-divisions record that was established by Jacksonville in 1982 and matched by Illinois St. in 1985 and Dayton in 1988.
The Gophers, who have lost four in a row since a season-opening 78-73 triumph over Maryland Bible, scored the first two points of tonight's game, but Greensboro responded with a 12-1 run to assume a 12-3 advantage. Adam Nicholson, who finished with a game-high 23 points, accounted for six of the Pride's 12 points during the first 6:08.
Greensboro missed only three of its first 15 attempts from the field and took its biggest lead (38-15) on a basket by Nicholson with 3:26 remaining before halftime.
Goucher closed to within 40-22 at the break and then shot 60 percent from the field (18-for-30) in the second half, eventually regaining the lead on a three-point field goal by Darrin Boswell II (Philadelphia, PA/Joppatowne) with 1:24 left to play in regulation. A lay-up by Josh Brown on Greensboro's next possession created a 62-62 tie and necessitated overtime.
The Gophers needed another three-pointer from Boswell with :04 showing on the clock to send the game into a second OT, tied at 70-70. Boswell, who produced 12 points and was one of four double-digit scorers for Goucher, was fouled while he connected from three-point range again just :26 into the second OT and made the free throw, putting the home team ahead 74-70. But Greensboro reeled off eight unanswered points and then sealed the outcome by going 6-of-6 at the charity stripe in the final :19.
Marcus Cotton (Silver Spring, MD/Springbrook) captured scoring honors for Goucher by supplying the Gophers with a career-high 15 points. Amir Hakim (Baltimore, MD/Baltimore City College) and Miguel Negron (Bel Air, MD/Bel Air) both tallied 10 points.
Goucher's 78 points were divided equally between starters and reserves. In addition to the 10 points Negron scored, Nick DeSouza (Washington, DC/Archbishop Spalding) delivered nine points and Cameron Brown (Baltimore, MD/Owings Mills) and Tim Merritt (Pasadena, MD/Chesapeake) eight points apiece off the bench.
Greensboro is the first of eight opponents on Goucher's 2007-08 schedule that the Gophers have never faced prior to this season.