Gophers Overcome Slow Start, Race past Corsairs

MIAMI, Fla. — After trailing 16-6 early on in the game, Goucher rallied behind one of its best overall efforts of the season to defeat UMass Dartmouth 83-76 at the Adidas Holiday Classic in Miami.

Julian Livingston (Bowie, Md./Fairmont Heights) had another dominant outing for the Gophers (5-5), leading the way with 25 points and hitting 10 of 18 shots from the field for a second consecutive game. Alex Noble (Clinton, Md./Surrattsville), meanwhile, flirted with a triple-double before ultimately finishing with eight points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. He set new career-highs in rebounds and assists, and his eight helpers were the most for a Gopher this season.

Livingston hit a layup at 7:01 to give Goucher its first lead at 22-21, and the Corsairs (6-4) were never able to get back in front. Norman Allen II (Bowie, Md./Riverdale Baptist) hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds to allow the Gophers to grab a 40-37 edge heading into the break.

Goucher extended its lead to as many as 14 points on three separate occasions in the second half. An Allen layup made it 80-66 with 3:02 remaining. The Corsairs made it interesting with a 10-0 run to cut the advantage back to four, but Livingston and Zachary Hall (Catonsville, Md./Catonsville) combined for three free throws in the closing seconds to seal the game.

Kevin Miles (District Heights, Md./Gwynn Park) chipped in 17 points for Goucher, scoring in double figures for a third-straight game, while Allen (11 points) also broke the double-digit barrier. Manney Wood (Washington, D.C./C. H. Flowers (Md.)) (eight points) and Hall (six points) also set new season-highs.

The Gophers (50.8 percent) had their best team shooting performance of the season, and they limited the Corsairs to 36.5 percent shooting from the field. Wale Abraham paced UMass Dartmouth with 12 points and 18 rebounds, while Jake Laga had 22 points.

Goucher concludes its three-game Miami road trip at Northwood (Fla.) at 5 p.m. on Thursday. The Seahawks (9-2), who are led by former Villanova coach Rollie Massimino, have won six straight.