Crusaders Take Down Gophers with 1-2 Scoring Punch

TOWSON, Md. — Through the first 12 games of the season, Goucher allowed only four opposing players to score 20 or more points.

That figure, however, rose to six this evening when Nikki Komera poured in 21 points and Nicole Gault backed her up with a 20-point effort in leading Susquehanna to its first Landmark Conference victory of the season, a 62-50 triumph over head coach Didi Cotton's Gophers in the Decker Sports & Recreation Center.

Komera did a lot of her damage in the first half as she tallied 13 points by going 6-for-7 from the field and making her only 3-point attempt. The Crusaders (7-6, 1-2 Landmark) led 35-28 after 20 minutes.

Although the Gophers (5-8, 1-2 Landmark) never had a lead in the contest, they trailed by only three points when Sharnell Huff (Bowie, Md./Bowie) made two free throws with 14:47 remaining. Huff finished with team-high totals of 16 points and 12 rebounds as she played all 40 minutes.

With Gault supplying eight of the points, Susquehanna responded to its lead being reduced to 39-36 by going on a 10-0 run over the next five minutes. The streak started with a pair of free throws by Gault, who ended up going a perfect 10-of-10 at the charity stripe.

After a layup by Gault provided the Crusaders with a 49-36 advantage midway through the second half, the Gophers never managed to get any closer than seven points the rest of the way.

Goucher had two other double-digit scorers in freshman guard Taje Burston (Springfield, Mass./Springfield Central), who ended up with 13 points, and sophomore center Amaka Ezeani (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch), who chipped in with 11 points.

Before this evening, the Gophers had gone 151 games without allowing two opposing players to score at least 20 points apiece against them. It last happened on December 1, 2007, when Colandra Rollins knocked down 24 points and Chelsie Schweers added 22, but Goucher still managed to defeat Christopher Newport, 81-69.