Eagles Get Away Late in Defensive Battle

TOWSON, Md. - Visiting Juniata College pulled away late in a defensive battle for a 64-49 Landmark Conference men's basketball victory over Goucher College Monday evening at the Decker Sports and Recreation Center.

• Goucher (3-13, 0-6 Landmark) held Juniata (9-6, 2-2) scoreless for the first six minutes of the game as it opened a 5-0 lead.
• A three by Josh Lichti (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) with 10:16 on the clock put the Gophers in front by eight, 12-4.
• The Eagles scored the game's next five points before a Goucher basket by Mal Graham (Grasonville, Md./Kent Island) at the 7:31 mark.
• That basket was the start of a 7-2 run capped by a three by Cam Isaacs (Randallstown, Md./Randallstown) at the 6:36 mark that made it 19-12.
• Juniata took the lead with a 10-2 run that made it 22-21 2:47 before halftime.
• The lead was short-lived as a Nieko White (Churchton, Md./Southern) basket with 2:16 left put the Gophers back in front.
• After the Eagles reclaimed the lead on a three, a basket by Isaacs with 1:30 on the clock tied the game 25-25.
• The guests led 28-25 at halftime.

• Back-to-back baskets by Tevin Venson (Waldorf, Md./Thomas Stone) and Octavius Johnson (Houston, Texas/Pasadena Memorial) to open the second half put Goucher in front 29-28.
• After four straight points by the Eagles to go back in front, five straight Goucher points made it 34-32 on a John Dixon (Towson, Md./Loyola Blakefield) three with 16:12 remaining.
• A five-point Juniata surge put the guests back in front 37-34, before an Isaacs three with 14:20 to go knotted the game 37-37.
• The Eagles reeled off nine straight points to build a 46-37 lead with 10:15 to go.
• Goucher crept back within five, 46-41, on two Lichti free throws with 7:39 to play.
• Juniata extended its lead to 11, 52-41, with 6:18 on the clock.
• A Venson layup with just under five minutes to go cut the lead to eight, 52-44, but that would be as close as the hosts would get the rest of the way.

• Isaacs was the lone Gopher to finish in double figures as he recorded 10 points.
• Johnson registered nine points and matched his season high with 12 rebounds, going 3-4 from the floor and at the free throw line.  He added two steals and a pair of blocks.
• Venson finished with eight points on 4-10 shooting, while Lichti and Dixon chipped in with seven points apiece.
• Goucher shot 36.2% overall, was 4-13 from long range and 11-18 at the free throw line.
• Juniata, which held a slim 33-32 advantage on the glass, shot 45.8% overall and knocked down eight of its 16 three-point attempts while going 12-17 at the charity stripe.

MBB | Octavius Johnson finds Mal Graham for the floater in the lane in the first half for @Goucher_MBB. Gophers trail Juniata 28-25 at halftime.#d3hoops #GopherGreatness pic.twitter.com/wKWAXlNpRv

— Goucher Gophers (@GoucherSports) January 25, 2022

• Goucher travels to Catholic on Wednesday evening for a 7 pm Landmark Conference contest.
• The Gophers return home on Saturday, January 29, welcoming Moravian to the Decker and Sports and Recreation Center for a 2 pm conference matchup.  Spectators are currently not allowed at Goucher home sporting events.