Gophers Sweep Wilkes, Clinch First-Ever Landmark Tourney Berth

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - Sophomore Jacob Morgan led four Goucher College starters in double figures with 21 points as the Gophers never trailed in a 76-55 Landmark Conference men's basketball victory over Wilkes University at the Marts Athletic Center Saturday afternoon.  The win, which completed a season sweep of the Colonels for the Gophers, clinched Goucher's first-ever Landmark Conference tournament berth.

• Goucher (10-15, 8-10 Landmark) held Wilkes (18-7, 11-7) without a field goal for the game's first 5:21 as it built an early 9-1 lead.
• The Gophers continued to increase the lead and a Darrell Green three at the 11:44 mark made it 19-6.
• Wilkes whittled the lead down to nine, 26-17, with 6:16 on the clock, and the two teams traded baskets for several minutes.
• A 6-1 Gopher spurt capped by a Brandon Joseph basket gave Goucher a 38-24 lead with 37 seconds left, and the visitors took a 38-27 lead into intermission.

• Wilkes came out firing early, with an early 10-2 run pulling it within three, 40-37, with 16:40 to play.
• Back-to-back Onterio Miller three-pointers and a Joseph free throw moved the lead back to 10, 47-37, with 14:07 on the clock.
• The Colonels got the lead back down to eight, but nine straight Goucher points capped by a Jaden Workman basket made it a 56-39 game with 8:10 left.
• Goucher led by at least 15 the rest of the way and took its largest lead, 74-50, with just over two minutes left on a Miller basket.

• Morgan finished 9-15 from the floor as he reached double figures in scoring for the ninth straight game.  It was his third 20-plus point outing of the season.
• Morgan also finished with four steals, four rebounds and three assists.
• Miller knocked down five three pointers, going 5-12 behind the arc, and totaled 15 points.
• Green notched 14 points and seven rebounds, while Workman added 12 points, four assists and four steals.
• Joseph recorded seven points and seven rebounds off the bench.
• Goucher shot 44.4% overall, was 9-26 behind the arc and 11-16 from the free throw line.
• The Colonels shot 38% for the contest, were 5-18 from three and 12-19 at the stripe.  Wilkes held a slim 37-36 rebound advantage.
• The Gophers forced 18 Wilkes turnovers while committing just eight giveaways, leading to a 22-5 lead in points off turnovers.
• Goucher swept the season series from Wilkes, as it downed the Colonels 62-61 at home on January 3.
• Goucher, who's eight Landmark Conference wins are a program record, reached the 10-win mark for the first time since 2015-16 and just the third time since 2004-05.
• The Gophers qualify for the Landmark Conference Championship as the No. 6 seed, the first Landmark tourney berth in program history.  Goucher is a founding member of the conference that began play in 2007-08.
• Goucher's last conference tournament appearance came in the 2007 Capital Athletic Conference tourney.
• Goucher is 7-7 since January 1 and 3-2 in February.

• Goucher will travel to third-seeded Susquehanna University on Tuesday, February 20 for a Landmark first round game.  Game time is to be determined.