McFadden Notches New Career High In 78-69 Win Against Hiram For Goucher Women's Basketball

MEADVILLE, Pa. – Alayna McFadden (Silver Spring, Md./Montgomery Blair) scored a career-high 29 points to lift Goucher College past Hiram College 78-69 in the second day of the Greg Richards Memorial Classic in women's basketball action on Saturday.

McFadden shot 9-for-17 from the floor, 1 of 2 from behind the arc and 10-for-10 from the free throw line to re-establish a new career high with 29 points after setting a then career-best 28 points in the season-opening win on Monday. McFadden has scored double figures all three games this season including two 20-point performances.

The sophomore posted 12 of her career-best 29 points in the final nine minutes of the game to help ignite an 26-16 run to end the game. After Hiram took a 53-52 lead, Anise Williams (West Palm Beach, Fla./The Benjamin School) gave the Gophers the lead for good on a layup with 8:49 left in the game. McFadden and Hiram traded baskets before McFadden started a 10-0 run to seal the win.

Williams has reached double figures for the third-straight game and the 23rd time in 27 games, finishing with 14 points, six rebounds and five assists.

After scoring seven points for her first collegiate points on Friday, Claire Flynn (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck) posted a career-high 13 points against Hiram. Kyani Quarles (Houston, Texas/Cristo Key Jesuit) posted 11 points and nine rebounds after tallying 13 points and nine boards on Friday.

After Hiram tied the game at 10, Goucher closed the first quarter on a 10-1 run for a 20-11 lead. McFadden scored the first five points in the spurt on a trey at 2:55 and a layup at 2:23. Flynn then hit consecutive baskets from behind the arc at 1:45 and with 53 seconds left. A Terrier free throw is all they could manage in the run to give the Gophers a nine-point lead after one quarter.

Goucher extended its lead to 16 points at 35-19 with 2:54 left in the second quarter thanks to a 15-8 start to the stanza. Williams powered the run with nine points, but after Williams drilled a 3-ball with 2:54 to give the Gophers their largest lead Hiram closed the half on a 13-3 run to cut the margin to 38-32 going into the locker room.

Hiram came back to tie the game at 46 thanks to a 14-8 surge with 2:35 left in the third quarter. McFadden then scored the next six points for the Baltimore team to help the Gophers go into the fourth quarter with a 52-51 edge. Hiram took the lead in the final frame, but McFadden took over to help the squad earn its second win in three games to start the season.

Shelby Apostol (Oxnard, Calif./Saint Bonaventure) finished with nine points.

Goucher head coach Andrea Preston faced a team that she served as the head coach from 2007-14 on Saturday.

The Gophers return to action on Tuesday at Hood. Game time is 6 p.m.