Game-Closing 12-2 Run Propels Royals Past Gophers

Landmark Contest Features 10 Ties, Dozen Lead Changes

TOWSON, Md. — Even though they had different reasons, Goucher and Scranton both desperately wanted to win when they collided tonight in the Decker Sports & Recreation Center.

For the Gophers, not only did they want to pick up their first Landmark Conference victory of 2011-12, but they also wanted to beat Scranton for the first time in 10 tries, all in the past five seasons. And for the Royals, they came in knowing they'd be in sole possession of first place in the Landmark if they could knock off head coach Leonard Trevino's squad.

It turned out to be a game that clearly demonstrated how badly each team wanted to come out on top as the score was tied on 10 separate occasions and the lead changed hands 12 times.

Scranton's Ross Danzig created the 10th and final tie with a made free throw with 5:02 left to play. He had another one coming, and by converting it, he put the Royals ahead to stay.

Danzig's two fouls shots jump-started a game-closing 12-2 run that allowed Scranton to emerge with a 58-49 triumph.

The only points the Gophers (3-16, 0-9 Landmark) were able to score after a short jumper by Damon Brooks (Takoma Park, Md./Springbrook) provided them with a 47-45 advantage with 6:43 left to play were from a layup by Marcus Cotton (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) with 1:56 remaining. By then, however, the Royals (14-6, 7-2 Landmark) had stretched their lead to eight points thanks to a pair of 3-point baskets by Matt Swaback and another foul shot by Danzig.

Six points was the biggest lead for either team in the first half. A conventional three-point play by Cotton on Goucher's next-to-last possession of the period allowed the Gophers to walk of the court at the break up 31-28.

Trae Lindsay (Baltimore, Md./Patapsco) tallied the first four and six of the first nine points  of the second half, but nobody else scored for Goucher until a tip-in by Shane Yambor (Burtonsville, Md./Paint Branch) midway through the period. A layup by Brooks put the home team ahead 45-42 with 8:10 left to play, but the Gophers managed only four more points the rest of the way.

Danzig and Swaback, who were a combined 6-for-13 on 3-point attempts, were the top two scorers for Scranton as they furnished the Royals with 19 and 12 points, respectively. Danzig was also credited with a game-high 11 rebounds.

Cotton's 14-point effort was high for Goucher, which lost to Scranton by 29 points when the two teams met back on Jan. 6.