Isaacs' Layup With Eight Seconds Left Propels Goucher Men's Basketball Past Juniata, 47-46
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – Cam Isaacs (Randallstown, Md./Randallstown) scored the decisive basket with eight seconds left and after a Juniata College a jumper was waived off at the buzzer Goucher College came away with a 47-46 win in Landmark Conference men's basketball action on Wednesday.
Despite the Gophers holding a 34-22 lead with 15 minutes remaining and a 38-31 advantage with 10 minutes remaining, the final five minutes saw two ties and each team take the lead three times apiece.
The Eagles used an 8-0 to take a 39-38 lead with 4:18 on the clock. Dwayne Morton (Baltimore, Md./Waynesville [Mo.]) converted two free throws at 3:12 to regain the lead for the Gophers. Juniata scored the next five points to grab a 44-40 edge with 2:37 on the clock. Josh Lichti (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) came up big with 93 seconds remaining after hitting a trey on his first shot attempt of the game before Isaacs scored in the lane with 32 ticks left to give Goucher a 45-44 margin. Two Eagles free throws with 18 seconds remaining set up Isaacs game winning basket while Juniata almost broke the Gophers hearts, but the jumper was ruled to come too late to hand Goucher its first league win of the year.
Morton paced the team with 14 points and seven rebounds. The senior continues its steady climb toward the 1,000-point plateau and can hit the mark with 25 points while he can also move into 10 place in program history with three points. Morton has 46 double-figure point games in his career
Isaacs added 13 points including the two clutch baskets in the closing minutes of the contest. He went 4-for-8 from the floor, 1 of 1 from behind the arc and 4 of 4 from the free throw line. The sophomore has registered double figures in points in seven of his last eight games, 11 times this season and 21 times in his two season in Baltimore.
Darrell Collins (Baltimore, Md./Newtown) chipped in 10 points. The freshman notches his second 10+ point tilt in his last five games after posting a career-high 12 points against Gallaudet University on January 8.
Trailing 5-4, Goucher went on an 14-4 run powered by eight points from Collins to take a 19-8 lead with 8:24 left in the first half. The Eagles scored 10 of the final 16 points to cut the margin to 25-18 going into the locker room.
In the second half holding a 27-22 lead, the Gophers scored the next seven points thanks to baskets by Mal Graham (Grasonville, Md./Kent Island), Isaacs and Morton to extend their lead to 34-22 with 15:34 on the clock. Juniata then posted 16 of the next 21 points to take a 39-38 lead with 4:18 left. The Gophers then received two big shots from Isaacs and a triple from Lichti to power the visitors to the win.
With the win, Goucher earns its first conference road game victory since beating Elizabethtown College on the road 100-69 on January 16, 2016 to end a 25-game road conference losing streak. The 47 points in a win was the lowest point total since a 53-50 win against Moravian College on February 5, 2011.
Head coach Tom Rose and his coaching staff wore sneakers for the game as part of Coaches Vs. Cancer Sneakers and Suits Week to raise awareness for cancer.
The Gophers return to action at Moravian College on Saturday. Tipoff is 2 p.m.