TOWSON, Md. — Although Goucher never surrendered the lead it was handed when Leroy Williams (Baltimore, Md./Patapsco) cashed in a pair of free throws to snap a 21-21 tie with Juniata with 4:41 left to play in the first half, the Gophers had still not managed to put the Eagles away as the game clock first showed less than five minutes remaining in tonight's Landmark Conference contest.
Only four points separated the two teams before Dylan Chaney (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake) found Marcus Cotton (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) underneath for a nearly uncontested layup with 4:52 left to play. Cotton's basket not only put Goucher up 54-48, but it also ignited a run of 12 unanswered points that carried the Gophers to a gratifying 64-51 triumph over the visiting Eagles.
Following Cotton's basket, Juniata missed its next seven shots from the field and committed two turnovers before Brian Scholly landed a 3-point attempt with just :12 remaining to close out the scoring.
Cotton also made the second basket during Goucher's decisive 12-0 run, but this one was set up by a pass from Trae Lindsay (Baltimore, Md./Patapsco), who made two free throws with 1:27 left to play to put the Gophers (4-11, 2-6 Landmark) ahead 60-48.
Five points was the biggest lead either team could muster in the first half. The score was tied on four separate occasions and the lead changed hands six times in the opening 20 minutes.
Goucher's Shane Yambor (Burtonsville, Md./Paint Branch) led all scorers as he contributed 20 points and eight rebounds to the victory that provided the Gophers with a 5-3 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools. Lindsay tallied 12 points and matched Yambor's rebound total, plus he also blocked four shots and made two steals in 32 minutes of action.
The only double-digit scorer for the Eagles (10-9, 3-5 Landmark) was Jeremy Hays, who finished with 14 points.