Golden Wolves Prove Too Much For Gophers

READING, Pa. - Host Alvernia University never trailed as it recorded an 85-51 non-conference women's basketball victory over Goucher College at Jack McCloskey Court on Saturday afternoon.  Brianna Johnson paced three Gophers in double figures with 15 points.

• Alvernia (6-2) opened up a 12-4 lead four minutes into the contest.
• A three pointer by Julia Cavoli at the 5:10 mark for Goucher (0-10) cut the AU lead to five, 12-7.
• The Golden Wolves scored the next five points to take a 17-7 lead and led by as many as 12 in the opening frame.
• A Merci Turner putback basket with 22 seconds left made it 22-13 after one period.

• Goucher outscored Alvernia 10-2 in the first two-plus minutes of the second and a putback by Savannah Holmes cut the hosts' lead to one, 24-23.
• The Golden Wolves countered with 11 straight points to open a 35-23 lead with 2:27 left before halftime.
• After a Briyah Haggins basket at the two-minute mark stopped the AU run, Alvernia scored the last six points to take a 41-25 lead into the break.

• Alvernia scored the first six points of the second half before a Johnson basket just under a minute in.
• A 17-2 run by AU to open the second half saw the lead swell to 58-27 with 5:53 on the clock.
• A 7-0 Gopher run capped by a Johnson basket made it a 67-37 game with 1:19 to go in the third.
• Alvernia led 69-41 going into the fourth.

• The lead fluctuated between 28 and 33 for Alvernia for much of the second half.
• A basket by the hosts with 1:07 left made it 85-51, accounting for the final.

• Johnson also grabbed six rebounds as she reached double figures in scoring for the third time in four games and fifth time this season.
• Turner knocked down a pair of three pointers and finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds for her third double-double of the year, while Holmes scored a career-best 11.
• Haggins and Cavoli added six points apiece, while Maiya Villanueva dished out four assists.
• Goucher shot 27.3% overall, was 5-31 behind the arc and 4-7 at the free throw line.
• Alvernia, which outrebounded Goucher 57-48, shot 45% on the afternoon and connected on nine of its 31 three-point attempts.  The Golden Wolves also went 4-7 at the charity stripe.

• Goucher is back in action Tuesday evening, as it faces Division I Navy in a 6 pm exhibition in Annapolis.
• The Gophers return home Wednesday, January 3, hosting Wilkes in a 6 pm Landmark Conference game at the Decker Sports and Recreation Center.