Gophers Can't Overcome Torrid Shoremen Shooting Effort

CHESTERTOWN, Md. - Washington (Md.) College shot 67.9% in the first half and 53.8% for the game as it recorded an 80-64 non-conference men's basketball victory over Goucher College Saturday afternoon.

• The game saw four ties and four lead changes in the first five minutes.
• Goucher (3-6) used a 9-0 run capped by a basket by Drew Pitts (Stafford, Va./Mountain View) with 12:26 left in the first half to build a 19-12 lead.
• The Shoremen (3-7) used a 9-0 run of their own to take a 21-19 lead just past the halfway point on a three-point play by Zack Skrocki.
• Washington extended its lead to seven, 28-21, with just under eight minutes to go.
• The Gophers outscored the Shoremen 16-4 over the next five-plus minutes to build a 37-32 lead following a four-point play by Josh Lichti (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) with 2:20 on the clock.
• The hosts closed the half on an 13-0 run to take a 45-37 lead into the locker room.

• A basket by Octavius Johnson (Houston, Texas/Pasadena Memorial) on the first Goucher possession of the second half cut the lead to six, 45-39.
• Washington College scored the next six points to extend its lead to 12, 51-39, with 14:55 left.
• The hosts extended their lead to 17, 58-41, midway through the half.
• A 6-0 spurt on threes by Lichti and Will Towne (Alexandria, Va./Deerfield Academy) cut the Shoremen lead to 11, 58-47, with just under nine minutes to go.
• Leading 65-53, a 7-2 spurt by the hosts made it a 72-55 game with 3:42 on the clock.
• The Gophers got the lead down to a dozen, 72-60, on a Cam Isaacs (Randallstown, Md./Randallstown) three with 2:17 on the clock, but that would be as close as the visitors got.

• Isaacs paced three Gophers in double figures with 20 points, going 5-8 from three and 7-12 overall.
• Isaacs also added four rebounds, four assists and three steals.
• Johnson posted a double-double with a season-best 14 points while grabbing 10 rebounds.  He was 7-9 from the floor and also recorded five assists.
• Lichti reached double figures for the fourth time in five games with 13 points on 5-9 shooting.
• Justin Salisbury (Churchton, Md./Southern) added six points and four rebounds.
• Both teams shot well in the first half, with Washington College 19-28 (67.9%) and the Gophers 15-28 (53.6%).  Goucher was 6-10 behind the arc in the opening 20 minutes.
• Goucher finished at 45.6% shooting for the game and was 10-21 from long range, while the Shoremen were 53.8% overall.
• Washington College held a 29-28 rebounding advantage.

• Goucher returns to action next Saturday, traveling to Eastern Mennonite for a 2 pm contest.
• The Gophers return to the Decker Sports and Recreation Center on Saturday, January 15, entertaining Scranton in a 2 pm Landmark Conference contest.