Morgan's Heroics Hold Off Late Gallaudet Push

TOWSON, Md. - First year Jacob Morgan (Bowie, Md./Bowie) broke a 52-52 tie with a 17-footer with 21.7 seconds left as the Goucher College men's basketball team held off a late push by Gallaudet University to post a 54-52 non-conference men's basketball victory Wednesday evening at the Decker Sports and Recreation Center.

• Goucher (2-6) staked itself to a 12-2 lead just over seven minutes into the game following a basket by Josh Lichti (Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg).
• The Gophers later extended the lead to 11, 16-5, on a Darrell Green (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall) basket 8:35 before intermission.
• Down 20-8, Gallaudet (1-7) scored eight straight points to pull within four, 20-16, at the 5:24 mark.
• Drew Pitts (Stafford, Va./Mountain View) answered with a basket on the next Gopher trip to make it 22-16.
• Goucher pushed the lead back to 10, 26-16, following a Morgan conventional three-point play with 2:38 left before halftime.
• The hosts took a 32-24 lead into the locker room.

• The Bison got the lead down to four, 34-30, just over three minutes into the second half.
• Five straight Goucher points, including a Green three-point play with 14:04 left, put the lead back to nine.
• The lead fluctuated between five and nine much of the second half, with a Green basket with five minutes left putting the hosts in front 50-42.
• Back-to-back Gallaudet threes and a free throw and a nearly four-minute Gopher drought pulled the Bison within one, 50-49, with 1:37 left.
• A Pitts basket with 1:15 to go made it 52-49, but GU's Rory Lewis knocked down a three with a minute left to tie the game 52-52.
• Goucher missed an initial three-point attempt on its next possession but John Dixon (Towson, Md./Loyola Blakefield) tracked down the offensive rebound.
• With 21.7 seconds left, Morgan dribbled and knocked down a 17-footer from the top of the key to put the Gophers back in front.
• Gallaudet missed a baseline jumper as time expired as the Gophers held on.

• Morgan reached double figures in scoring for the fifth time in seven games, finishing with 16 points on 6-12 shooting.  He also handed out six assists.
• Lichti made all five of his field goal attempts, including a three, and totaled 11 points, but he was limited to just 24 minutes due to foul trouble before fouling out late.
• Green added nine points while Pitts was 4-6 from the floor and recorded eight points.
• Alex Miller (Manchester, Md./Calvert Hall) grabbed six rebounds and had the assist on Morgan's game-winner.
• Goucher shot 37.9% from the floor but was just 3-26 from long range.  The Gophers went 7-12 at the free throw line.
• The Bison outrebounded Goucher 46-28 and shot 34% overall and 7-22 behind the arc, while converting 11 of their 18 trips to the line.
• The Gophers committed a season-low nine turnovers.

MBB | Jacob Morgan's 17-footer with 21.7 seconds left lifted @Goucher_MBB to a 54-52 win Wednesday night!#d3hoops #GopherGreatness #GoucherProud pic.twitter.com/wYUJHwJKHx

— Goucher Gophers (@GoucherSports) December 8, 2022

• Goucher plays its final home game of the first semester on Saturday when it hosts Washington (Md.) College in a 4 pm tilt at the Decker Sports and Recreation Center.