Goucher Women's Basketball Battles To The End In 60-52 Loss To Susquehanna

BALTIMORE, Md. – Goucher College held the lead at halftime and was one defensive stand from having a chance to tie the game in the final minute of a 60-52 loss to Susquehanna University in Landmark Conference women's basketball action on Saturday.

Trailing 52-43 with 3:11 left in the game, Anise Williams (West Palm Beach, Fla./The Benjamin School) hit a trey at 2:34. After two free throws by the River Hawks, Jorryn Avery (Glen Burnie, Md./Severn School) nailed a trey of her own at 2:09 to cut the margin to 54-49. A free throw by Susquehanna was followed by a Williams basket off the glass at 1:43 and an Avery charity toss at with 71 seconds left to make it a three-point game. The River Hawks had the ball with the shot clock in the final countdown before Susquehanna hit a dagger trey from the corner to help clinch the victory and avoid giving the Gophers a chance to tie the contest.

Williams stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals while Avery posted a season-high 14 points.

Williams notched 10+ points for the 15th time this season and 36th time in her career. The sophomore posted nine or more rebounds for the fourth time as a sophomore and eight times in her career while she matched her career high of six assists that she established against Scranton on December 1, 2018. The sophomore has registered at least four steals 11 times in 2019-20 and 20 times in her career.

Avery reached double figures for the fifth time this season and the seventh time in her career. She missed her career high of 15 points by one points that she set against Catholic on February 13, 2019 against Catholic.

Alayna McFadden (Silver Spring, Md./Montgomery Blair) led all-scorers with 16 points. The sophomore scored double figures for the fourth-straight game, the 13th time this season and 30th time in her career. McFadden, who paced the team in scoring for the seventh time in her sophomore campaign, moved past former teammate Nicole Wolard (610, 2015-19) for 17th place in program history with 618 career points.

McFadden and Williams (645 points) next mark will be 700 points in their career which would move them up another spot on the program's all-time career point list.

Kyani Quarles (Houston, Texas/Cristo Rey Jesuit) notched a career-high 15 rebounds while finishing one carom shy of her fifth double-double with nine points. Coming off a game on Wednesday against Catholic where Quarles tied her career best for rebounds for the second time in her time at Goucher, the freshman posted a career-high eight offensive rebounds for the second-straight game and a career-best seven defensive rebounds for the fourth time in her career to set a new personal standard for rebounds. It is her sixth double-digit rebound game. The freshman has posted nine points or more on nine occasions.

Quarles gave Goucher a 4-2 lead and Avery handed the host a 7-5 lead, but after McFadden converted a traditional 3-point to cut the margin to 14-12 with 2:32 left in the first half, the River Hawks made a trey to go into the second quarter with a 17-12 lead. 

Trailing 19-14 in the second quarter, the Gophers closed the period on a 16-9 run to take a 30-28 lead going into the locker room. Williams powered the run with eight points after scoring the first five points and the last three points in the run while Avery added seven points.

McFadden started the third quarter with a basket and Quarles hit the backend of two free throws to give Goucher its largest lead at 33-28 with 8:23 on the clock. Susquehanna would come back to take a 37-35 lead before Avery tied the game at 37 on two freebies at the line with 4:33 left in the frame. The River Hawks then took the advantage for good and went into the final quarter with a 43-37 lead.

Susquehanna maintained the lead in the fourth and withstood a final push by the Gophers to hold on for the 60-52 decision.

Head coach Andrea Preston and her staff joined many of the men's basketball coaching staffs by wearing blue puzzle piece lapel pins during the Autism Speaks Coaches Powering Forward Movement set for this weekend.

Goucher returns to action on Wednesday at Juniata College. Game time is 7 p.m.