Goucher Men's Basketball Stays Close In First Half In Loss To Salisbury

BALTIMORE, Md. – Goucher College played a great first half and went into the break trailing by two points in a non-conference men's basketball loss to Salisbury University on Saturday.

Pat Goralski (Pasadena, Md./Chesapeake) paced the Gophers with 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Goralski has scored double figures in three-straight games and four times this season while he has also hauled in at least seven boards in that stretch and four times on the year. Goralski, who is averaging 14.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in his last three contests, notched his second three-game streak of 10+ games while his career-high in consecutive double-digit point games is four games from his junior year. The senior has 15 double-figure point games in his career and 11 games with at least seven caroms.

Cam Isaacs (Randallstown, Md./ Randallstown) added 10 points in the loss. The sophomore has posted double figures in consecutive games for the third time in his career and for the fourth time in six tilts this season. Isaacs has scored double digits 14 times in 31 career contests.

Holding an 8-7 edge, the Sea Gulls scored five unanswered points to take a 13-7 lead with 11:31 left in the first half. Isaacs and Darrell Collins (Baltimore, Md./Newtown) came back to score the next five points on a jumper and a 3-ball to make it a one-point game against with 8:46 left at 13-12.

Salisbury then went up 16-12, 18-14 and 20-16, but the Gophers had answers each time to bring it back to a one-possession game. Raekwon Becks (Hagerstown, Md./Williamsport) scored in the lane with 28 ticks left in the stanza to send the two teams to the locker room with the Sea Gulls holding a 20-18 lead. 

Salisbury opened the final frame on a 16-2 run to take a 36-20 lead with 14:45 left in the second half.

Goucher scored 10 of the next 15 points to cut the margin to 41-30. The spurt was fueled by four points from Josh Carter (Beltsville, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti), who finished with six points, but the Gophers could get no closer the rest of the way. 

The game was attended by over 500 fans and Goucher's all-time leading scorer and two-time All-American David Clark, who served as the guest coach as part of the 25th Anniversary of the first-ever NCAA Division III Tournament win against Lebanon Valley during the 1994-95 season.

Salisbury held a 20-18 lead at the break and then used a 46-29 second half to earn a 66-47 win.

Goucher returns to action on Tuesday at NCAA Division I Virginia Military Institute. The game will be an exhibition game for the Gophers, but will count toward the record of the Keydets. Tipoff is 7 p.m.