Williams Posts Double-Double as Second Half Gopher Comeback Stymied by Gallaudet

WASHINGTON, D.C. - After trailing by as many as 23 points in the first half and 35-18 at halftime, the Goucher College women's basketball team pulled within five in the fourth quarter before suffering a 61-54 defeat at Gallaudet University Wednesday evening.

• Gallaudet (3-4) used an 11-0 run to stake itself to a 12-2 lead just over six minutes into the game.
• A basket by Goucher's (1-6) Julia Cavoli (Harrisburg, Pa. / Central Dauphin) at the 3:15 mark halted the Bison run.
• The Gophers got field goals from Belle Carini (Haddam, Conn. / Haddam-Killingworth) and Ta'Niya Kees (Baltimore, Md./Mount Carmel) in the remainder of the quarter as they trailed 20-9 after 10 minutes.

• Cavoli made a layup on the first possession of the second quarter to cut the lead to nine.
• The Bison scored the game's next 14 points to go up 34-11 with 3:22 left before halftime.
• Back-to-back baskets by Alayna McFadden (Silver Spring, Md./Montgomery Blair) cut the lead to 19 with just under two minutes left.
• McFadden sank two free throws at the end of the quarter to make the score 35-18 at intermission.

• Goucher outscored Gallaudet 8-4 over the first 3:29 of the second half with a layup by Anise Williams (West Palm Beach, Fla./The Benjamin School) pulling the Gophers within a baker's dozen, 39-26.
• Williams sank two free throws with 4:17 left in the third to make it a 42-32 game.
• The Gophers got within nine, 46-37, with 3:05 left on a conventional three-point play by McFadden.
• A Williams layup with seconds remaining in the third made it 48-39 with 10 minutes to play.

• A Williams three-point play 17 seconds into the final frame following a steal cut the lead to six, 48-42.
• Gallaudet pushed the lead back to 12, 54-42, with six straight points with just over eight minutes left.
• Goucher held the Bison scoreless for over five minutes and scored seven straight points capped by two Cavoli free throws to make it 54-49 with 4:40 remaining.
• A Cassidy Perry free throw, followed by a Perry basket with 2:47 on the clock, moved the Bison lead back to eight.
• Cavoli knocked down a three with 2:20 left to again make it a five-point game, 57-52.
• Goucher forced an empty trip on the next Gallaudet possession.  On the other end, a Cavoli three rimmed out with 1:38 to play.
• Gallaudet converted a layup on the other end with 1:02 left to make it 61-54 and led by at least seven the rest of the way.

• Williams finished with a double-double with 12 points and a career-best 10 steals.  Her 10 steals are tied for the fifth-highest single-game total in Division III this season.
• Williams also contributed five rebounds and four assists.
• McFadden recorded 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
• Cavoli and Kees each tallied nine points.
• Sydney Nwuli (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) grabbed 10 rebounds.
• Goucher forced 33 Gallaudet turnovers and recorded 17 steals, its most steals in a game since registering 17 against Immaculata on December 10, 2016.
• The Gophers shot just 24% overall and were 1-17 behind the arc, while the Bison shot 40% overall.
• The Bison held a 59-37 rebounding advantage.
• Goucher was playing its first game since November 20, an 18-day span.

• Goucher returns to action Friday night when it travels to Neumann for a 7:30 pm contest.
• The Gophers return home Sunday for their Landmark Conference opener, hosting Drew in a 2 pm game at the Decker Sports and Recreation Center.