Juniata Holds Off Gophers

TOWSON, Md. - Visiting Juniata College was able to hold off Goucher College for a 59-53 Landmark Conference women's basketball victory Saturday afternoon at the Decker Sports and Recreation Center.

• Goucher (3-18, 0-10 Landmark) took an early 5-1 lead after a Kyani Quarles (Houston, Texas/Cristo Rey Jesuit) layup three minutes in.
• Juniata (7-14, 2-8) scored the next eight points to build up a 9-5 advantage with just over two minutes left in the half.
• Back-to-back baskets by Alayna McFadden (Silver Spring, Md./Montgomery Blair) put the Gophers up 10-9.
• A whistle as time expired resulted in two Eagle free throws and the guests made one to tie the game 10-10 after one.

• Juniata scored the first six points of the quarter to build a 16-10 lead.
• Quarles scored at the 5:37 mark to halt the Eagle run.
• A Kendra Lawrence (Hackensack, N.J./Immaculate Conception) basket with 2:30 left again pulled the Gophers within four, 18-14.
• Juniata held a 19-14 halftime advantage.

• Goucher scored the first five points of the second half and a Kyla Smith (Easton, Pa./Easton) basket just over two minutes in tied the game 19-19.
• After Juniata retook the lead and was in front 25-21, a Smith three with 5:08 on the clock put Goucher within one, 25-24.
• The Gophers took a 29-28 lead with 2:30 left on a Quarles layup.
• After a three by the Eagles' Kynnedy Miller, a Smith basket tied the game 31-31.
• The game was tied one more time, but a late Juniata three-point play put it in front 36-33 heading to the fourth.

• Back-to-back baskets by Juniata upped its lead to seven, 40-33, a minute into the fourth.
• Goucher scored six straight to move within one, 49-39, on two Smith free throws at the 7:08 mark.
• A 9-1 Eagle spurt put the guests in front 49-40 with 4:33 to go.
• The Gophers chipped away and two free throws by Alexis Kuhlman (Mount Airy, Md./Herndon) made it a 50-47 game with 1:29 left.
• After a Juniata basket, a conventional three-point play by Kuhlman with 50 seconds to go pulled Goucher within two, 52-50.
• On Juniata's next trip, Emily McCann drove, was fouled, and made the layup and the free throw to make it 55-50 with 44 seconds to go.
• Smith would make 1-of-2 at the line on Goucher's next trip.
• After Juniata went up 57-51, Kuhlman made two more free throws to make it 57-53 with four seconds left, and two McCann free throws sealed the win for the Eagles.

• Smith reached double figures for the 19th time in 20 games with 17 points while grabbing eight rebounds.
• Quarles posted her 10th double-double of the season and third straight with 14 points and 12 rebounds, going 6-9 from the floor.
• Kuhlman made all five of her free throws and added nine points and seven rebounds, while Lawrence finished with six points and 11 boards.
• McFadden contributed six points, three rebounds and three assists off the bench.
• Goucher shot 25.4% overall, was 16-22 from the free throw line, but just 1-15 behind the arc.  The Gophers outrebounded Juniata 54-49.
• The Eagles shot 31.3% from the floor, 5-20 behind the arc, and 14-24 at the charity stripe.

• Goucher remains home Wednesday night, hosting Moravian in a 7 pm Landmark Conference game at the Decker Sports and Recreation Center.