von Ende Rescues Gophers Once, No Repeat in OT

Doughty Finishes with 10 Points, Career-High 13 Rebounds

FREDERICK, Md. — Elizabeth von Ende (Leawood, Kan./American Hebrew Academy) rescued Goucher once when she landed a 3-point shot in the closing seconds of regulation, creating a 53-53 tie and sending tonight's season-opening contest against Hood into overtime.

The Gophers turned to von Ende again when they trailed by three points with :06 remaining in the five-minute extra session. This time, however, the junior guard/forward's attempt from 3-point range rimmed out.

The Blazers tacked on two free throws by Dyanna Prater with :02 showing on the clock before they were able to celebrate their 63-58 triumph over the Gophers.

von Ende was Goucher's leading scorer as she produced 18 points. Junior guard/forward Kiara Doughty (Salisbury, Md./Wicomico) supplied the Gophers (0-1) with 10 points and a career-high 13 rebounds.

Allyson Lethbridge captured scoring honors for the Blazers (1-0) as she finished with 19 points.

The Gophers were down five points at halftime, 35-30, and didn't take their first lead of the second half until a basket by freshman forward Hannah Brown (Pinedale, Wyo./Dunn School) with 6:23 remaining made the score 48-47.

Following von Ende's 3-pointer that tied the score up at 53-53, the Blazers had one chance to win in regulation, but Prater missed a layup just before the horn sounded.

The Gophers were only 2-for-10 from the field in the OT and senior guard Leia Roberts-Brown (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll) accounted for both of their made baskets. The second one was a layup that reduced Hood's lead to 59-58 with :15 remaining, but Prater got those two points back when she converted two free-throw attempts.

The loss snapped Goucher's three-game winning streak in the all-time series between the two in-state rivals and was the Blazers' first victory over the Gophers in the sport of women's basketball since the 2004-05 season.