Smith Notches 27 in Gopher Setback to Gators

BALTIMORE - Graduate student Kyla Smith (Easton, Pa./Easton) scored at least 20 points for the fifth time this season with her 27-point performance, but host Notre Dame of Maryland outscored Goucher College 25-11 in the third quarter en route to a 68-45 non-conference women's basketball victory Saturday at the MBK Athletic Complex.

• Back-to-back baskets by Kyani Quarles (Houston, Texas/Cristo Rey Jesuit) and Smith put Goucher (2-8) up 4-0 1:34 into the game.
• Notre Dame (7-3) scored the next seven points to take a 7-4 lead.
• After the Gators took a 13-8 lead, a Smith basket at the 1:28 mark made it 13-10.
• The hosts led 14-10 through 10 minutes.

• Notre Dame extended its lead to 16-10 early in the quarter.
• A 7-0 Gopher spurt in 1:24 capped by a Kendra Lawrence (Hackensack, N.J./Immaculate Conception) free throw put Goucher in front 17-16.
• The Gators countered with a 7-0 run of their own to go up 23-16 with 3:16 on the clock.
• Goucher cut the lead to one, 23-22, on a Smith triple 1:47 before halftime.
• Notre Dame took a 27-24 lead into intermission.

• A Quarles basket 1:27 into the second half again cut the lead to one, 27-26.
• Notre Dame used a 12-2 run to take a 39-28 lead midway through the quarter.
• The run was stopped by a basket by Briyah Haggins (Waldorf, Md./Westlake) with 4:38 on the clock.
• A basket by Smith cut the lead to seven before the Gators had an 8-1 run to build a 14-point margin, 47-33, just over two minutes left in the period.
• The hosts held a 52-35 lead after three quarters.

• NDMU pushed the lead to 20 before a Smith three with just under eight minutes left made it a 57-40 ballgame.
• The Gators took their largest lead, 68-42, with 2:26 left.
• Claire Flynn (Annapolis, Md./Broadneck) knocked down a late three.

• Smith finished 10-25 from the floor, knocking down two threes, and went 5-6 at the free throw line while also grabbing six rebounds.
• Smith has reached double figures in all nine games she has played, averaging 22.4 points per game.  Entering the day she led the Landmark Conference in scoring and ranks No. 13 nationally.
• Lawrence totaled seven points and hauled in 11 rebounds, her third double-digit rebound effort of the season.
• Quarles finished with six points and seven rebounds, while Sydney Nwuli (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) also recorded seven boards.
• Goucher shot 28.6% overall and was 6-11 at the free throw line and 3-15 behind the arc.
• The Gators took 24 more trips to the free throw line than the Gophers, going 26-35.  Notre Dame shot 38.5% overall and was 2-10 from long range.
• The hosts held a slight 36-35 rebound edge.