Eight-Point Loss Keeps Gophers Out of First Place

Lindsay Makes Run at Single-Game Record for Blocked Shots

TOWSON, Md. — Goucher, which trailed by eight points at halftime, got as close as one point in the second half, but Drew never relinquished the lead and came away with a 50-42 Landmark Conference victory over the Gophers tonight in the Decker Sports & Recreation Center.

Because Merchant Marine suffered a 72-70 loss to Catholic tonight, the Gophers would have been in a three-way tie with the Mariners and Cardinals for first place in the Landmark Conference had they won.

The Gophers (4-9, 2-2 Landmark) took an 18-16 lead on a jumper by Trae Lindsay (Baltimore, Md./Patapsco) with 4:49 remaining before halftime, but the Mariners (3-11, 1-3 Landmark) closed out the period with a 10-0 run to assume a 26-18 advantage.

Drew's lead flucutated between four and nine points for the first 8:47 of the second half until Joel Smith (Nottingham, England/Cardinal Gibbons) landed a shot from three-point range to bring the Gophers to within 34-31. Goucher made defensive stops on the next three possessions by the Rangers before a layup by Pat Bailey (Rockville, Md./Magruder) made it a one-point game with 9:02 left to play.

The Gophers got the ball back again when Steve Musenga (Germantown, Md./Good Counsel) rebounded a missed three-point try by Drew's Joe Horvath, but a turnover prevented them from getting off a shot that potentially could have given them the lead for the first time. The Rangers then ended a scoring drought that lasted 3:55 when Mike Mayes completed a conventional three-point play, making the score 37-33 with 8:15 remaining.

Mayes led all scorers as he furnished the visiting Rangers with 17 points.

Goucher didn't have a double-digit scorer in the loss, but Lindsay, in only the fourth start of his career, finished with nine points. The freshman forward, who played only 17 minutes, also blocked four shots, which is only one off of the single-game school record set back in the 1995-96 season against Mary Washington by Predrag Durkovic.