Mariners Edge Gophers to Complete Season Sweep

KINGS POINT, N.Y. — Goucher closed the curtain on its 2014-15 season with a 73-66 defeat at Merchant Marine this afternoon.

Troy DeShields (Seaford, Del./Sussex Technical) poured in a season-high 20 points, but it was not enough for the Gophers to overcome nine 3-pointers by the Mariners (9-16, 6-10 Landmark), who completed a season sweep in the series.

David Smith had six of those long balls, with the first coming in a 9-2 run to open up the game for the hosts. A Matt Miller layup gave Merchant Marine its largest first half lead of 19-9 with 10 minutes remaining.

Goucher then scored 17 of the game's next 24 points, with a pair of free throws from Tre Galloway III (Silver Spring, Md./Paint Branch) leveling the score up at 26 apiece with four minutes left. The Mariners would eventually take a slim 34-29 edge into the intermission. DeShields carried the Gopher attack early on, hitting all six of his first half field goal attempts and going into the second half with a game-high 14 points.

The junior forward hit his first shot after the break as well, making a layup 1:15 in to reduce the margin down to four points. Merchant Marine would maintain a lead between three and nine points for a majority of the frame before opening up its largest advantage of 67-54 after a Miller 3-pointer.

Brian Morton II (Ellicott City, Md./Mount St. Joseph) tried to rally the visitors, delivering a thunderous dunk with 2:11 left. That began a 7-0 run capped off by a Jesse Mondry (Medford, Ore./South Medford) 3-pointer to make it 67-61, Mariners, with 58 seconds on the clock. Goucher, though, was unable to get any closer the rest of the way.

Mondry and Kevin Miles (District Heights, Md./Gwynn Park) each totaled 12 points to join DeShields in double figures. Smith led Merchant Marine with 20 points, while Miller added 18 and Preston Padgett had 16.

The Gophers wrap up their season with a 4-21 record, including a 3-13 mark in Landmark games. The Mariners, who won six of eight to end the year, swept the season series for the first time since 2011-12.