Crusaders Pin Five-Point Setback on Gophers

Senior Forward Passes Head Coach for No. 3 in Career Rebounds

TOWSON, Md. — Only one point separated Goucher and Susquehanna after Kiara Doughty (Salisbury, Md./Wicomico) got a layup to drop with 1:52 left to play tonight, but the Crusaders managed to score the final four points of the contest to emerge with a 55-50 Landmark Conference triumph over the Gophers.

The Gophers (4-8, 0-2 Landmark) got the defensive stop they needed on Susquehanna's first possession following Doughty's layup, but they went 0-for-3 from the field and also missed a free-throw attempt on their final four possessions of the contest. The Crusaders (7-6, 1-1 Landmark) padded their one-point lead with a follow by Jessica Zigarelli with 1:09 remaining and then with a pair of free throws by Ashley Watkins with :20 showing on the clock.

Although the Gophers led by as many as eight points in the first half, they needed a layup by senior forward Amber Smith (Baltimore, Md./Institute of Notre Dame) with :05 remaining to walk off the court at the break down by just a point, 28-27.

Throughout the entire second half, the score was tied on four different occasions and the Crusaders never led by more than five points.

Three of Goucher's starters reached double figures in points: Elizabeth von Ende (Leawood, Kan./American Hebrew Academy) led all scorers with 15 points, while Smith and Allie Russo (Bethesda, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) added 10 points apiece.

Midway through the first half, Smith latched on to a missed layup by the Crusaders and passed her head coach for third place on Goucher's all-time rebounds list. During her four-year career (1993-96) with the Gophers, Didi Cotton grabbed 693 rebounds; with the six she collected in tonight's game, Smith's total grew to 696.