Blue Jays Take Out Gophers by Four Points in Opening Round

Noble Produces Two Points in First Half, Finishes with 19

TOWSON, Md. — After shooting just 22.2 percent from the field, including an 0-for-5 effort from 3-point range, missing nine free-throw attempts and committing 11 turnovers, Goucher was probably fortunate to be down only six points to Johns Hopkins at the end of the first half in the opening round of the 2011 Pride of Maryland Championship tonight.

The Gophers played significantly better in the second half and went ahead for the first time on a layup by Leroy Williams (Baltimore, Md./Patapsco) with 9:20 left to play. Nearly two minutes later they even got the lead up to 42-39 on a layup by Trae Lindsay (Baltimore, Md./Patapsco).

But the Blue Jays responded with a run of nine consecutive points that featured a pair of 3-point baskets by Daniel Corbett that put them up 48-42 with 4:28 remaining and they went on to prevail in the season-opening contest for both teams, 53-49.

Corbett, who missed all three of his long-distance attempts and tallied only four points in the opening half, was 4-for-6 on 3-point tries and added 13 points to his total in the second period.

Alex Noble (Clinton, Md./Surrattsville), who accounted for only two of Goucher's 16 points in the first half, knocked down 17 points by himself over the final 20 minutes. During a 13-8 run by the Gophers (0-1) that trimmed Johns Hopkins' lead down to 36-33, the freshman landed a pair of 3-pointers and a mid-range jumper, converted a layup and also canned a free throw.

With the Blue Jays (1-0) up 48-42, Noble again went to work, getting a jumper to drop, turning a steal into a layup and then adding a free throw to allow the Gophers to close to within 48-47 with 1:49 left to play. The only points Goucher was able to come up with the rest of the game, however, were from a layup by Damon Brooks (Takoma Park, Md./Springbrook) with :11 showing on the clock.

Noble was the only double-digit scorer for the Gophers, who will take on Washington (Md.) in the consolation semifinals on Friday. The Shoremen lost to St. Mary's (Md.), 78-74, in another first-round contest played tonight.

Goucher finished with a 53-39 advantage in rebounds as Lindsay pulled down 12 boards and Marcus Cotton (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) added 11.