Despite Three Gophers in Double Figures, Stevenson Edges out Goucher in Season Opener

OWINGS MILLS, MD - The Goucher College men's basketball team (0-1 overall) traveled to face the Stevenson University Mustangs (1-0 overall). Despite three Gophers being in double figures, Goucher fell to Stevenson, 75-69, in their season opener on Friday night.

The Gophers came out strong in the early minutes, scoring in transition and showing strong ball movement. Liech Kong put Goucher on the board with the first points of the 2025-26 campaign, while returners Brian Griffin and Nemo Johnson helped the offense establish its rhythm. Midway through the first half, Chima Egeonu threw down a dunk to put the Gophers back in the lead. A pair of threes from Jadyss Fifer and Darnell Morris Jr. added to Goucher's lead, forcing a timeout by Stevenson. The Mustangs hit back-to-back threes to close in on the Gophers' lead. With five minutes left to go in the first half, Stevenson led Goucher and built on their lead into the half after a 9-2 run.

To start the second half, both teams continued to trade baskets before a three-pointer from Griffin ignited a 15-0 run for the Gophers to reclaim the lead. The Mustangs ended their four-minute scoring drought with back-to-back threes and tied the Gophers at 51 points apiece, before using an 8-1 run to regain control late in the game. With three minutes to go in the game, the Gophers trailed the Mustangs 61-68. Kong fueled a final push with a driving reverse layup, but the Mustangs sealed the game at the free-throw line.

Kong led the Gophers with 20 points, shooting 66.7% from beyond the arc. Morris Jr. followed close behind with 18 points, while Egeonu was the third Gopher to score double digits with 11 points. Both Kong and Morris Jr. ended the night with two assists each. Sophomore, Fifer led the team with nine rebounds, eight of those being defensive.

Goucher shot 54% in the contest, compared to Stevenson's 39.1%. From the three-point line, the Gophers went 7-16, while the Mustangs went 10-27. Stevenson shot 60% from the charity stripe as the Gophers shot 61.5%.

The Gophers outrebounded the Mustangs 33-30. Turnovers proved costly, as Stevenson turned 20 Goucher giveaways into 30 points, while the Gophers scored eight points off 10 Mustang turnovers. The contest featured 14 lead changes and six ties, highlighting the competitive battle.

The Gophers look ahead to their next game on Friday, November 14, at 7pm against Neumann University. After that, the men return to the Decker Sports and Recreation Center for their home opener against Catholic on Wednesday, November 19^th, set to tip off at 6pm.