Gophers Battle Back from 14 Down, Turn Back Patriots

Huff Contributes Season-High 21 Points to 53-46 Victory

TOWSON, Md. — Sharnell Huff (Bowie, Md./Bowie) scored 21 points — the most by a Goucher player in any game so far during the 2011-12 season — in leading the Gophers past Valley Forge Christian, 53-46, tonight in the Decker Sports & Recreation Center.

Baskets by Kiara Doughty (Salisbury, Md./Wicomico) and TaQuasia Lambert (Brooklyn, N.Y./Patapsco) staked the Gophers (5-11) to a 4-0 lead, but in a span of slightly more than four minutes, that four-point advantage became a 14-point deficit because the Patriots (8-11) reeled off 18 straight points. After Morgan Godwin got the 18-0 run started by knocking down a jumper in the paint, Amanda Reich took over and personally scored the the next nine points.

The run finally ended midway through the first half when Lambert grabbed an offensive rebound and went right up to score. Over the next 4:32, the Gophers outscored the Patriots, 14-2, and were able to tie the score at 20-20 on a short jumper by Huff with 5:01 remaining before halftime.

Over the final 2:50 of the first half, the lead changed hands five times with Goucher taking a 27-26 lead into the locker room at the break thanks to a basket by Adrienne Flowers (Columbia, Md./Pallotti) with :05 showing on the clock.

The Patriots managed to close to within one point of the Gophers one time in the second half on a jumper by Reich, but they could never wrest the lead away from head coach Didi Cotton's squad. Goucher assumed its largest advantage of the contest on a layup by Shante Atkinson (Millersville, Md./Old Mill) that made the score 45-36 with 8:53 left to play.

Huff, who earlier in the season tallied 20 points in a game against Hood, was Goucher's only double-figure scorer tonight. Five other players — Flowers, Atkinston, Doughty, Elizabeth von Ende (Leawood, Kan./American Hebrew Academy) and Lambert — contributed six points apiece to the non-conference victory.

Reich captured scoring honors for Valley Forge Christian by finishing with 16 points.

Doughty had more rebounds (9) and more assists (5) than any player on either team and she was the co-leader, along with von Ende, in steals (4).