Lions Deflate Gophers with Long-Range Daggers

Yambor Turns In 15-Point, 10-Rebound Performance

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A three-point basket by Shane Yambor (Burtonsville, Md./Paint Branch) with 1:21 left to play provided Goucher with a 57-54 lead over Mount St. Joseph this afternoon, but the Lions responded by knocking down a pair of three-pointers in the closing :20 to pull out a 60-57 victory over the Gophers at the Cruzin Classic.

Before Michael Romes nailed a three-pointer with :20 showing on the clock to create a 57-57 tie, the Lions (7-3) had gone 9:01 without a single made field goal. The Gophers, who trailed 54-47 when Romes canned a pair of free throws with 7:21 remaining, battled back to tie the score at 54-54 on a layup by Yambor that was set up by a blocked shot at the other end by Trae Lindsay (Baltimore, Md./Patapsco).

The Gophers (1-6) had the first crack at snapping the 57-57 deadlock, but with :10 left to play, they missed a shot and Romes collected the rebound. The Lions quickly worked the ball into their offensive end and into the hands of Mike Mechler, who connected on the game-winning three-point basket with :02 remaining.

Six different players made three-pointers during the game for Mount St. Joseph and the Lions finished 13-for-22 on three-point attempts. Kyle McCord drained four three-pointers on the way to his team-leading total of 15 points.

Yambor was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Gophers as he finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. The only other double-figure scorer for Goucher was Pat Bailey (Rockville, Md./Magruder), who tallied 10 points and landed a critical three-pointer with the Lions up by five points with 5:01 remaining.