Gophers Kick off 2026 with a Win Over Rutgers-Newark

Gophers Kick off 2026 with a Win Over Rutgers-Newark
January 3, 2026
Video Box Score

BALTIMORE, MD - Goucher College Gophers (5-6 overall, 1-3 Landmark) hosted the Scarlet Raiders of Rutgers-Newark (2-10 overall, 0-5 conference) in a non-conference contest to open the 2026 calendar year. The defensive battle ended with a 57-48 victory for the Gophers.

The Scarlet Raiders scored first, taking an early 5-0 lead before a 3-pointer from Nia George sparked the Gopher offense. Baskets from Logan Davis and Sanai Knox gave Goucher a 7-5 advantage, but the Scarlet Raiders responded. In the final 1:27 of the quarter, a 3-pointer from Leila Townsend, followed by a Davis layup, tied the game at 14-14 heading into the second quarter.
 
Both teams opened the second quarter trading defensive stops before Rutgers-Newark took a narrow 18-16 lead. Davis went to the line, making a free throw that put the Gophers back by one. After a two-minute scoring stalemate, Rutgers-Newark broke through, taking control of the game 23-19. Free throws from Aniya McDaniel and Chyanne Harris helped keep the Gophers within striking distance, and a Harris 3-pointer closed the half with Rutgers-Newark holding a 28-26 lead.
 
Goucher opened the third quarter with momentum as Knox knocked down a jump shot in the opening minute. George followed with a layup to tie the game at 30-30. Another Knox layup forced a Rutgers-Newark timeout. After three minutes of back-and-forth defense, baskets from Knox and Townsend gave the Gophers the lead. With 3:49 remaining in the quarter, Rutgers-Newark answered with a six-point run to regain control. The Scarlet Raiders carried a 40-37 lead into the final quarter.
 
The fourth quarter began slowly for both teams before Rutgers-Newark scored the opening basket. With 7:29 remaining, McDaniel hit a three to cut the deficit to one at 42-41. After the Scarlet Raiders briefly extended their lead, a George layup shifted momentum back to Goucher. The Gophers capitalized at the free throw line down the stretch to secure the 57-48 win.
 
McDaniel led the Gophers with 18 points, while George followed with 11. Townsend recorded four steals and finished second on the team in rebounds with 10. Davis led Goucher on the glass with 12 rebounds, including a team high of eight defensive boards.
 
Goucher shot 23.5% from the field compared to Rutgers-Newark's 34.4%. The Gophers were efficient at the free-throw line, going 20 for 24, while the Scarlet Raiders finished 3 for 10. Rutgers-Newark shot 11.1% from 3-point range, while Goucher finished at 21.7%.
 
The Gophers will return to conference play on the road against Drew on Wednesday, Jan. 7, set to tip off at 7 pm. Goucher returns to the Decker Sports & Recreation Center on Jan. 17 to host Wilkes at 4 pm.