Gophers Battle Back from 18 Down, Bow to Mounties in OT

Second OT Setback During 0-7 Start to 2010-11 Campaign

CRESSON, Pa. — Despite trailing by as many as 18 points in the first half, Goucher managed to send this evening's non-conference game against Mt. Aloysius into overtime. Unfortunately, the Gophers were able to score only one point on their first five possessions in the five-minute extra session and they fell short against the Mounties, 75-72.

Both teams had runs of nine unanswered points during the first half. For Mt. Aloysius, the 9-0 spurt took place over the opening 2:32 and was capped by a 3-point field goal by Sammarco Lindsy.

A 3-pointer by Rhoades Dani provided the Mounties (3-7) with a 38-20 advantage with 3:11 remaining before halftime, but that's when the Gophers countered with their 9-0 run. When junior guard Amy Smith (Logan Twp., N.J./Paulsboro) knocked down a 3-pointer with :06 showing on the clock, Goucher was down only 38-29.

The Gophers (0-7) finally caught the Mounties 7:14 into the second half when a layup by freshman guard Precious Kollock (Baltimore, Md./Patapsco) created a 50-50 tie. After Mt. Aloysius regained the lead on a free throw by Keagy Kaylee, Goucher went ahead for the first time at 52-51 on a layup by senior guard Leia Roberts-Brown (Capitol Heights, Md./Archbishop Carroll).

The Mounties wrested the lead back on their very next possession, which culminated in a layup by Donald Shavonna. It took a layup by Roberts-Brown with :11 remaining to tie the score at 66-66 and extend the contest by another five minutes.

Shavonna, who finished with game-high totals of 19 points and 14 rebounds, tallied the Mounties' first seven points in overtime, putting them up 73-69 with :20 remaining by making a free throw. Smith's third 3-pointer of the contest allowed Goucher to close to within 73-72, but after Krepps Spring canned a pair of free throws with :06 left to play, the Gophers couldn't connect on a 3-point attempt that would have tied the score.

Roberts-Brown supplied the Gophers with a season-high 18 points. Freshman forward Taquasia Lambert (Brooklyn, N.Y./Patapsco) recorded the first double-double of her career as she turned in a 13-point, 10-rebound performance. Junior guard/forward Kiara Doughty (Salisbury, Md./Wicomico) also registered a double-double of 12 points and 10 boards.

The loss in overtime was the second head coach Didi Cotton's Gophers have suffered in 2010-11. They were locked in a 53-53 tie with Hood in the first game of the season only to bow to the Blazers, 63-58.