Game-Tying Three is Long as Gophers Come Up Short

Lindsay Shoots 6-7 From the Field, Pulls Down 16 Boards

TOWSON, Md. — Considering how the two teams fared against their lone common opponent, one could have expected Eastern Mennonite to cruise against Goucher, but the Gophers gave the Royals all they could handle.

Both teams have already made a trip down to Ronaoke this year, with Eastern Mennonite (6-1) pulling out a 82-76 victory, while Goucher (2-5) was handled 86-65 in its visit to the Maroons.

But there's a reason they don't play games on paper.

The two teams alternated points for the first seven scoring possessions, which was a sign of things to come.

The game stayed in a five-point window for the first 19:54, as Goucher tied the game five times without taking the lead and the Royals never led by more than five until a Ryan Yates three with :06 left in the half extended the lead to eight headed into intermission.

The visitors scored the first four points coming out of the break to take their largest lead of the game, 12, but the hosts immediately responded with eight straight points of their own to pull back within striking distance.

Julian Livingston (Bowie, Md./Fairmont Heights) cut the lead to a single possession with a jumper at 15:23, kicking off a furious back-and-forth rally in which the next 12 scoring possessions alternated between teams.

Over that 8:23 span, neither team could string together consecutive baskets until Trae Lindsay (Baltimore, Md./Patapsco) made a jumper, the Gophers got a stop, and Livingston tipped home a rebound off Lindsay's shot to slice the lead to one.

After Richard Harris (Clinton, Md./Surrattsville) stole the ball on Eastern Mennonite's next possession, he took it himself to give Goucher its first lead of the game at 6:12.

The lead changed three more times, the last time coming on a Dajon Daniel three giving the Royals a 61-60 lead with 3:04 left. Daniel finished with 19 points.

The Royals grew the lead to five as R.J. Daniels earned the last two of his team-high 20 points on a dunk with :53 left, but with :40 remaining, Alex Noble (Clinton, Md./Surrattsville) hit a pair of free throws to pull the Gophers within three once again.

The two points raised Noble's total to 22, a game high.

When James Williams missed the front end of a one-and-one, the Gophers had life, taking a timeout with 8.3 seconds remaining to draw up one final play.

Livingston received the inbounds pass at the top of the arc and was forced to fire a contested, off-balance three to attempt to tie the game. His shot was accurate, but hit just a bit too high on the glass, sending the Royals home with a win.

Lindsay finished with 16 rebounds, one shy of his career high of 17 set last season in a win against Drew. He was also made six of his seven attempts from the floor and his only free throw to net 13 points.

This was the first meeting between the two schools in the sport of men's basketball.