Time Runs Out Before Gophers Finish Catching Mariners
TOWSON, Md. — Goucher entered the final minute of this evening's Landmark Conference game against the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy needing to make up four points in order to catch the Mariners. Going 5-for-5 from the field, with one of those being a 3-point attempt, should have helped.
Landmark Teams Combine for 21 Points During Final Minute
TOWSON, Md. — Goucher entered the final minute of this evening's Landmark Conference game against the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy needing to make up four points in order to catch the Mariners. Going 5-for-5 from the field, with one of those being a 3-point attempt, should have helped.
Unfortunately for head coach Didi Cotton's squad, the Mariners nearly matched the Gophers point-for-point down the stretch, going 10-of-14 at the free-throw stripe to hang on for a 67-64 victory.
The Mariners (8-11, 4-6 Landmark) didn't make another field goal after a jumper by Roshenda Josephs provided them with a 53-47 lead with 4:20 remaining, but by the time TaQuasia Lambert (Brooklyn, N.Y./Patapsco) made a pair of free throws for Goucher with 1:01 left to play, the Gophers (5-16, 1-9 Landmark) had picked up only two points and were still down 57-53.
Merchant Marine was able to build its lead back up to seven points with three free throws before Elizabeth von Ende (Leawood, Kan./American Hebrew Academy) made Goucher's only 3-point basket of the game, changing the score to 60-56 with :45 remaining. The Gophers kept inching closer by answering free throws by the Mariners with field goalsl of their own until they closed to within 63-62 on a layp by Precious Kollock (Baltimore, Md./Patapsco) with only 8.9 seconds left to play.
Demi Van Der Wal, who tallied 17 of her game-high 24 points in the second half, converted two free throws with 2.6 seconds remaining and, after another layup by Kollock, added two more with :01.6 showing on the clock.
Kollock finished with 17 points to lead Goucher in scoring. Other double-digit scorers for the Gophers were Lambert with 14 points and Sharnell Huff (Bowie, Md./Bowie) with 13.
Both teams shot well from the field. Merchant Marine was 22-for-54, a .407 percentage, and Goucher turned in its second-best performance of the season by going 23-for-50 (.460).
Photo Credit: Marcello Cutti Jr.