Gophers Make History: First 4-0 Start of NCAA Era

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Goucher had been 3-0 on two other occasions during the 29 years that the school was a member of the NCAA, but never 4-0. So when head coach Patrick Daniel's squad, which was undefeated through the first three games of the 2015-16 season, took the court against Cedar Crest this evening, it had a chance to make history.

From the opening tip to the final horn, the Gophers left little doubt as to how this game was going to turn out. They held the Falcons to one point the entire first quarter, were comfortably in front by 15 points midway through the contest and kept expanding their lead over the final 20 minutes of play and came out on top, 75-26.

On Goucher's first possession of the contest, Briana Bull (Baltimore, Md./Owings Mills) found Amaka Ezeani (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch) down low with a pass and the senior center turned and put one in off the glass for two points. Ezeani made similar shots three more times before the game was even four minutes old and finished the opening quarter with eight points.

The Falcons (0-7) also scored on their first possession as Shameca Thompson made the second of the two free throws she was awarded. The remainder of the period, though, they were 0-for-9 from the field and guilty of nine turnvers.

The Gophers (4-0) led 15-1 at the end of the first quarter.

Cedar Crest's first made basket was a 3-pointer by Tenille Stewart eacrly in the second quarter that made the score 15-4. The Falcons got as close as 25-15 later in the period on a 3-point basket by Taylor Osley, but by halftime, they were 15 points behind again, 35-20.

Two Goucher players scored more points by themseleves than the six the entire Cedar Crest team did in the second half. Bull, who had only two points to her credit at halftime, knocked down 14 points over the third and fourth quarters, and Kristi Kozlowski (Kingsville, Md./Redeemer Classical Christian), who was also held to two points in the first half, added eight more to her total following the break.

Ezeani, who made nine of the 13 shots she attempted, led all scorers with 18 points. Through the first four games of the season, she is 35-for-52 from the field, a .673 shooting percentage.

In addition to her 16 points, Bull ended up with five rebounds, four assists and eight steals.

India Perkins (Brentwood, Md./Bladensburg) latched on to 10 rebounds, her fourth double-digit performance in that category already this season. Jaida Scarborough (Baltimore, Md./Digital Harbor) was credited with eight assists, a new career-high for the junior guard.

Cedar Crest's 26 points were divided among five of the eight players who got into the game. Katherina Pierre came off the bench to score six points, while four of the five starters furnished the Falcons, who were 3-for-20 from the field in the second half, with five points apiece.

The Gophers, who will go after win No. 5 on Monday, Nov. 30, at Delaware Valley, have held their first four opponents this season to an average of 47.5 points per contest.

"Happy with this win before we take a few days for the Thanksgiving holiday," Daniel commented after the game. "We are very thankful to be 4-0 and we look forward to getting back to work in a few days to prepare for our next game."

Back in 1993-94, following season-opening victories over Lincoln, Averett and Immaculata, the Gophers came up eight points short of a 4-0 start when they bowed to Columbia Union, 68-60. They opened last season with back-to-back-to-back wins over Valley Forge, Notre Dame (Md.) and Penn State-Berks, but couldn't get past Union (N.Y.) in game No. 4, as they were beaten by the Dutchwomen, 59-27.