Gophers Avenge Earlier 28-Point Loss to Saints

Alexander Nails Two Key Three-Pointers, Ends Up with 14 Points

ARLINGTON, Va. — Goucher avenged a 28-point loss to Marymount in December by downing the Saints, 59-58, tonight, earning a spot opposite Rutgers-Newark in tomorrow night’s championship game of the Marymount Holiday Classic.

Two players who combined to score only nine points in last month’s 93-65 loss to Marymount in the Decker Sports & Recreation Center supplied the Gophers (2-7) with a total of 24 points tonight: Tim Alexander (Hagerstown, Md./Williamsport), who put Goucher ahead to stay with a three-point basket with 4:33 remaining, ended up with 14 points and Trae Lindsay (Baltimore, Md./Patapsco) chipped in with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Lindsay, who was 5-for-6 from the field, made two of his baskets during a run of 11 straight points in the first half by the Gophers that turned a five-point deficit into a 22-16 lead. Micah Perry (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) put the finishing touches on the 11-0 spurt by knocking down a three-point field goal with 5:19 remaining before halftime.

The Saints (5-6) quickly overcame Goucher's 29-24 advantage at the break by opening the second half with an 8-3 run, pulling into a 32-32 deadlock on a three-pointer by Tarek Ammoury with 16:16 left to play. Ammoury, who was held to 10 points in last month's game, wound up with 30 points tonight by going 10-for-17 from the field and 4-for-5 on his three-point attempts.

There would be five more ties over the next 8:32. Goucher's Kyle Gladden (Baltimore, Md./Lansdowne) created the final tie of the contest with 7:44 showing on the clock by canning a pair of free throws, making the score 47-47.

Layups by Patrick Prewitt and Sam Sentz on back-to-back possessions allowed the Saints to open up a 51-47 advantage before Alexander landed two shots from three-point range 1:09 apart, the second of which put the Gophers in the lead for good.

Both teams spent a good portion of the final 5:00 at the free-throw line: The Saints missed six free throws down the stretch and were only 10-of-23 (.435) for the game; the Gophers were a little more successful as they finished at 12-of-20 (.600) despite five misses in nine tries while attempting to maintain the lead at the end.

A basket by Ammoury with :11 remaining — Marymount's first field goal for 6:36 —sliced Goucher's lead to 59-58. The Saints quickly fouled and the Gophers missed both attempts, but were saved when Ammoury's buzzer-beating shot to win the game wouldn't fall.