Gophers Down Royals in Home Opener

Gophers Down Royals in Home Opener
November 11, 2025
Video Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - The Goucher College women's basketball team (1–0 overall) opened its 2025–26 season with a 55–49 win over Regent University (0–2 overall) on Tuesday night in the Decker Sports and Recreation Center. The victory marked Head Coach Oliver Ellison's first win at the helm.

The Royals earned the possession off the tip, but failed to convert the first shot of the game. The Gophers responded with an early two-pointer by Savannah Holmes, marking the first points of the 2025-26 campaign. Regent added a three-pointer before Goucher found their footing with shots made by Holmes and Sanai Knox. The Gophers kept the Royals at bay, taking a 12-6 lead with 2:44 left in the first quarter. After two made free throws from Aniya McDaniel, the Royals took control, ending the first quarter with a 15-12 lead.
 
Leila Townsend added the first made basket of the second quarter, following her own defensive rebound. Both teams traded shots as Goucher gained on the Royals. Nia Edens made a layup before both teams went into a two-minute scoring stalemate. Holmes broke the scoring drought with a jump shot, reclaiming the lead for Goucher (20-19). Townsend's layup pushes the Gopher scoreboard 22-19 going into half.

Regent struck first in the third quarter, but back-to-back layups from Knox and Chyanne Harris built on the lead for Goucher. The teams traded baskets throughout the period before Goucher closed strong on a 6–0 run, capped by a Logan Davis jumper to make it 42–36 entering the fourth.

Both teams opened the final quarter in a scoring lull until Edens knocked down two free throws at the 8:27 mark. The Royals offense regrouped, going on a 9-0 run, to briefly take the lead, 45–44, prompting a Goucher timeout. The Gophers answered immediately with a layup from McDaniel and a jumper from Davis. Darby Sherman added another bucket to help secure the lead with just over a minute left to play. Goucher's defense held firm to seal the 55–49 win.

McDaniel led the Gophers with 12 points, while Holmes and Knox each added 10. Davis led the team with 11 total rebounds, while Edens paced Goucher with six steals and a team-high in defensive boards. Davis and Knox each grabbed five offensive rebounds.

Goucher shot 29.1% from the field, compared to Regent's 32.3%. From the free-throw line, the Gophers hit 9-13, while the Royals went 5-10. Regent outpaced the Gophers from beyond the arc, shooting 21.1%, while Goucher failed to hit a three. Goucher outrebounded Regent, 53-48, and led in assists, 8-4.

The Gophers return to action this weekend when they host the Renie Amos Tournament in the Decker Sports and Recreation Center. Goucher opens play against Lancaster Bible on Friday, November 14, at 5pm.