McDaniel Bests Gophers in Season Opener

TOWSON, Md. - Visiting McDaniel College jumped out to a 30-15 halftime lead en route to a 52-35 non-conference women's basketball victory over Goucher College at the Decker Sports and Recreation Center Friday night.  The game marked the first game since the 2019-20 season for both teams.

• McDaniel (1-0) scored the game's first four points.
• The Gophers (0-1) made their first field goal of the game when a basket by Julia Cavoli (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin) made it 6-3.
• Goucher cut the lead to one, 8-7, on a basket by Kyani Quarles (Houston, Texas / Cristo Rey Jesuit) at the period's midway point.
• The Green Terror outscored the Gophers 9-3 over the final five minutes to build a seven-point cushion through one.

• Goucher cut the lead to two, 17-15, after a basket by Anise Williams (West Palm Beach, Fla. / The Benjamin School) at the 8:12 mark and a conventional three-point play by Cavoli with 7:25 on the clock.
• McDaniel shut the Gophers out the rest of the half as it scored 13 straight points to go into the locker room up 30-15.

• Cavoli scored 47 seconds into the second half to make it 30-17.
• After the guests pushed the lead to 18, a conventional three-point play by Ta'Niya Kees (Baltimore, Md. / Our Lady of Mount Carmel) with 5:43 on the clock made it 35-20.
• The Green Terror led 42-23 with 10 minutes remaining.

• McDaniel took its largest lead, 50-23, with just over five minutes remaining.
• Goucher closed the game on a 12-2 run sparked by a Cavoli three-ball.
• Serrena Gonzales (Surprise, Ariz. / Peoria), Sydney Nwuli (Severna Park, Md. / Severna Park) and Briyah Haggins (Waldorf, Md. / Westlake) scored during the game-closing run.

• Sophomore Cavoli led the Gophers in her collegiate debut with 10 points, going 4-8 from the floor.  She also grabbed three rebounds.
• Kees added six points, while Quarles grabbed 11 rebounds.
• Nine of the 10 players who saw the floor for the Gophers reached the scoring column.
• McDaniel outrebounded Goucher 47-41 and shot 34.4% overall and 35.7% from three.  The Gophers shot 22.2% overall and were 1-12 behind the arc.
• Goucher did generate six more trips to the free throw line, going 10-15, while the Green Terror were 5-9.
• Goucher was playing its first game in 622 days.  It had not played since February 22, 2020.

WBB | A driving layup and eventual three-point play by @GoucherWBB Julia Cavoli early in the second quarter cuts McDaniel's lead to two.#d3hoops #GopherGreatness pic.twitter.com/O0vGmGYUR4

— Goucher Gophers (@GoucherSports) November 6, 2021

• Goucher returns to action Saturday evening when it travels to Shenandoah for a 6 pm tip.
• The Gophers return home next weekend to host the Renie Amoss Memorial Tip-Off Classic, hosting Hiram next Friday at 5:30 before facing 20th-ranked Christopher Newport on Saturday at 4 pm at the Decker Sports and Recreation Center.