Gophers Do It with Early Three-Point Barrage, Defense

Drew's 12-Point First Half Represents All-Time Low for Opponent

MADISON, N.J. — Goucher made all four of its three-point field goal attempts in the first 5:52 of today's Landmark Conference game against Drew and that allowed the Gophers to jump in front, 13-2. The Gophers also held the Rangers to 12 points in the opening 20 minutes, an all-time low for points allowed in a half by a program in just its 20th year of existence.

But that early double-digit advantage would be wasted and the record-setting defensive performance would mean little unless head coach Leonard Trevino's squad came away with a victory. Drew did battle back to grab a shortlived one-point lead midway through the second half, but the Gophers regained control of the contest and went on to defeat the Rangers, 55-49.

Shane Yambor (Burtonsville, Md./Paint Branch) launched the first three shots from three-point range for Goucher to account for the nine points he tallied in the first half. Yambor also was awarded an assist on the three-pointer by Micah Perry (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) that produced the 13-2 score with 14:08 remaining before halftime.

Over the final 7:05 of the first half, the two teams combined to go 2-for-17 from the field and commit six turnovers. Drew's only basket during that stretch was a layup by Kyle Joyce that allowed the Rangers (7-17, 3-10 Landmark) to close to within 20-12; the Gophers (7-15, 5-7 Landmark) scored their final points of the period on a three-pointer by Pat Bailey (Rockville, Md./Magruder) with 3:08 showing on the clock.

The 12 points scored by Drew is two fewer than the Gophers gave up in the first half of a game against Mary Washington back on January 13, 1999.

Bailey knocked down another three-pointer to open the scoring in the second half, extending Goucher's lead to 26-12. Drew, however, answered with a run of nine consecutive points to reduce its deficit to 26-21, and eventually the Rangers caught and passed the Gophers when Joyce made a pair of free throws with 10:32 left to play.

Just :04 after Joyce's two free throws, the Gophers regained the lead on a layup by Kyle Gladden (Baltimore, Md./Lansdowne), the opening salvo of what turned out to be eight unanswered points by Goucher. Perry supplied five of the points during the run, which placed Drew in a seven-point hole with 7:30 remaining.

Yambor, who had been quiet on the offensive end since scoring nine of Goucher's first 10 points, nailed two more three-point shots down the stretch, both times after the Rangers had rallied to make in a one-possession game. The first one provided the Gophers with a 40-35 cushion with exactly 4:00 left to play and the second put his team up by six (43-37) at the 3:25 mark.

With Bailey standing at the line for six of the attempts, the Gophers were a perfect 10-of-10 on foul shots during the final :40.

By going 5-for-6 on three-point tries, Yambor accumulated 15 points in the contest to capture scoring honors for Goucher. Bailey and Perry furnished the Gophers with 12 and 11 points, respectively.

The Rangers, who were a miserable 5-for-28 from the field (.179) in the first half, had two double-digit scorers in Joyce (17 points) and Mike Mayes (14).