Fast-Paced Royals Cruise Past Gophers in Win

TOWSON, Md. — Goucher couldn't figure out a way to stop the fast-paced offense of seventh-ranked Scranton as it put up 72 points against the blue and gold for a 72-37 defeat this evening.

The focus of that offense, Alexix Roman and Sarah Payonk had no problems finding the basket as they tallied 29 of the team's 72 points.

Scranton's advantage was clear right away as the Royals (15-0, 6-0 Landmark) scored the first 17 points of the contest, eight coming from the duo of Roman and Payonk.

With just under a minute to play in the first quarter, Joyce Woolen (Trumbull, Conn./Trumbull) rebounded a missed shot and got fouled. Woolen made 1-of-2 from the foul line for Goucher's first point of the game. Seconds later, she knocked down a jumper — scoring the only three points for the home team in the opening 10 minutes.

Goucher was held scoreless in the first three minutes of the second quarter until India Perkins (Brentwood, Md./Bladensburg) made a free throw. In the Gophers' next possession, Briana Bull (Baltimore, Md./Owings Mills) contributed her first points of the game by knocking down a pair. Olivia Nono (Silver Spring, Md./Montgomery Blair) and Ecstacie Ryles (Arundel Mills, Md./Arundel) each scored a basket at the two-minute mark while Monique Welch (Reisterstown, Md./Franklin) hit a free throw with 27 seconds left for the team's 12th point of the evening.

Scranton scored 25 points, it's most of the game, in the second quarter and took a 44-12 lead into the locker room for halftime. 

The final two quarters of play carried the same result as the Royals outscored the Gophers (5-9, 0-5 Landmark), 28-25.

Bull scored nine of her 11 points in the closing half while Amaka Ezeani (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch) added five during that equal amount of time.  

Aside from Roman and Payonk, Scranton had two more double-digit scorers— Katie O'Reilly (11) and Jaclyn Gantz (10)— in the win.

Goucher hits the road on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. tip-off against fellow Landmark member, Moravian.