Gophers Hang with Greyhounds Until 13-0 Run
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Goucher stayed within close proximity of Moravian until the nationally ranked Greyhounds reeled off 13 unanswered points near the end of the first half and went on to hand head coach Didi Cotton's Gophers a 70-47 setback in Landmark Conference action this evening.
Amber Smith Grabs 11 of Team's Season-High 56 Rebounds
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Goucher stayed within close proximity of
Moravian until the nationally ranked Greyhounds reeled off 13
unanswered points near the end of the first half and went on to
hand head coach Didi Cotton's Gophers a 70-47 setback in Landmark
Conference action this evening.
Although the Gophers managed only two field goals in the first 6:05 of the contest, they were three-pointers by Kelsey Myette (Binghamton, N.Y./Seton Catholic Central) and Amy Smith (Logan Twp., N.J./Paulsboro) that prevented the Greyhounds from opening up any more than a five-point advantage until a layup by Alyssa Bisci put Moravian (14-2, 6-0 Landmark) ahead 14-7 with 9:05 remaining in the first half. But on Goucher's subsequent possession, Smith landed another shot from three-point range to make the score 14-10.
The Gophers (5-11, 1-5 Landmark) closed to within 18-15 when Myette stopped and popped in the paint with 6:22 left to play before halftime, but two free throws by Jessica Foran just :14 later started the 13-0 run that allowed Moravian, which entered the game alone in first place in the Landmark Conference and No. 15 in the USA Today ESPN Division III national rankings, to extend its lead to 31-15.
Goucher trailed 31-17 at halftime and fell behind by as many as 26 points over the final 20:00 of the contest.
Smith was the only double-figure scorer for the Gophers as she finished with 13 points.
Kate Harrison tallied only five points for Moravian, but that was enough to become the 19th female player in school history to score 1,000 points during her career. She attained the milestone with the free throw that completed the decisive 13-0 run.
The Gophers were credited with a season-high 56 rebounds and won the battle of the boards by nine. Amber Smith (Baltimore, Md./Institute of Notre Dame) grabbed 11 rebounds, while Elizabeth von Ende (Leawood, Kan./American Hebrew Academy) and Abby Paris (Owings Mills, Md./Owings Mills) hauled in eight apiece.