TOWSON, Md. – The University of Scranton men's basketball team (4-15, 2-10 Landmark) dropped a 64-52 decision to the Goucher College Gophers (7-12, 5-7 Landmark) in conference action on Saturday afternoon at the Decker Sports and Recreation Center on Saturday afternoon in Towson.
Goucher led by four at half and was able to extend the lead to double digits in the second half.
Sophomore Teddy Spratt (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) hit a layup to draw the Royals within one at 9-8 with 13:15 to go in the first half before Goucher scored the next five to take a 14-8 lead for the time being. Later in the first half, the Gophers held a 22-17 edge before freshman Nick Ruisi (Greenlawn, N.Y./Harborfields/Cheshire Academy) sank a layup and sophomore Luca Baratta (Richboro, Pa./Perkiomen School) buried a three to even things at 22 apiece with 4:40 left in the opening stanza. Goucher quickly answered with a three of their own and eventually took a 30-26 lead into the locker room.
In the second half, the Gophers recorded the first six points of the half to stretch the lead to double digits at 36-26, however, the Royals would not go quietly and began to battle back. Senior Tahaj Parland (Neptune, N.J./Mater Dei) sank a three to cap an 11-5 stretch that brought Scranton within four at 41-37 at the 9:57 mark. From there, the Royals sliced the deficit to four once more at 49-45 with 4:44 to play following sophomore Jon Spatola's (Marlboro, N.J./Marlboro) layup, but Goucher used a three to stretch the lead back to seven on the ensuing possession. The Royals were then unable to get any closer than six over the final four plus minutes.
Spratt paced Scranton with 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting and Parland added 11, while Spatola contributed six points, six rebounds and four assists.
Jacob Morgan led four Gophers in double figures with 13 points of his own and Onterrio Miller chipped in with 12.
The Royals shot 37.9% (22-of-58) from the field and 16.7% (3-of-18) from deep in the contest. Goucher was 18-of-49 (36.7%) from the floor and 9-of-23 (39.1%) from long range.
Scranton will return home to host Wilkes on Wednesday evening at the John Long Center with action slated to get underway at 7 p.m.
--ROYALS--
