Gophers Turn Back Soldiers for First 2011-12 Victory

Chaney Dishes Out 12 of Goucher's Total of 29 Assists

TOWSON, Md. — Goucher avoided what would have been only the second 0-6 start in the 22-year history of its men's basketball program by turning back Maryland Bible, 88-76, tonight in the Decker Sports & Recreation Center.

The Gophers trailed by as many as eight points early in the contest before going ahead to stay when Alex Noble (Clinton, Md./Surrattsville) nailed a 3-point attempt to make the score 26-25 with 7:39 remaining in the first half. By halftime, Noble had 14 points to his credit and Marcus Cotton (Silver Spring, Md./Springbrook) was in the books for 12 points as Goucher enjoyed a 44-35 lead.

The closest the Soldiers (1-3) got at any point in the second half was 58-53 on a layup by Kevin Taylor with 13:34 showing on the clock.

Noble tacked on eight more points over the final 20 minutes, boosting the freshman guard's total to a game-high 22 points and giving him a third contest of at least 20 points so far this season.

Cotton's final basket of the night provided the Gophers (1-5) with their biggest advantage at 84-64 with 2:27 left to play. The senior forward ended up one point shy of Noble's total as Goucher had two players score 20 or more points in the same game for the first time since Pierre Jones knocked down 22 points and James Russo added 20 against Hood on Feb. 20, 2007.

Cotton had 10 rebounds to go along with his 21 points for the fourth double-double of the senior forward's career. Manney Wood (Washington, D.C./C. H. Flowers) pulled off the first double-double of his career as the sophomore forward supplied the Gophers with 10 points and 10 boards.

Quintin Harris captured scoring honors for Maryland Bible as he poured in 18 points.

The key to Goucher's first victory of 2011-12 was effective ball movement as 29 of the Gophers' 34 field goals were assisted, which is one shy of the school record for assists in a game. Individually, sophomore guard Dylan Chaney (Columbia, Md./Wilde Lake) handed out a career-high 12 assist, also one away from the single-game school record of 13 established by Mike Doyle against Salisbury on Jan. 17, 1998.

The last time the Gophers began a season by dropping its first five contests was 2008-09 and they broke their skid that season with a 58-54 triumph over Maryland Bible.