SALISBURY, Md. – Behind a combined 73 points from a trio of freshmen, the Salisbury University women's basketball team routed the Goucher Gophers, 98-45, in its 2023-24 home opener on Wednesday evening at Maggs Physical Activities Center.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Alex Bull knocked down a third-chance three-pointer on the Sea Gulls' first possession, sparking a 12-0 run over the opening three-plus minutes. Abby Plaugher netted the final five points of the opening flourish with a triple and two free throws.
• The Gophers settled down and got within 14-7, but Nicole Miller sank a layup that edged the momentum back to the home side. SU led by as many as 16 in the opening period and took a 26-14 cushion out of the first.
• Salisbury made it a double act with a 16-0 run over the first five minutes of the second quarter. Plaugher scored 10 points in the surge, while Cora Shafer hit a pair of buckets that made it 42-14 at the 5:18 mark.
• The Sea Gulls pushed the lead into the 30s just before the half, and Plaugher's trey at the buzzer sent SU into the halftime locker room up 52-19.
• Up 56-21 early in the third quarter, Salisbury netted eight straight points to push the advantage to 64-21. A 50-plus margin came at the 2:41 mark when Miller hit a three to make it 76-24.
• With the clock winding down, Jen Juhring sank one from downtown to beat the buzzer and put SU ahead 85-30 at the end of the third.
• Salisbury pushed the lead as high as 53 in the fourth quarter, and one last triple from Plaugher gave the game its final 98-45 margin.

SALISBURY GAME NOTES

• Abby Plaugher broke out for a team-leading 28 points off the bench, shooting 11-of-20 from the floor and 4-of-8 from long range. Plaugher also hauled in seven rebounds and distributed five assists.
• Nicole Miller finished right behind Plaugher with 27 points on 12-of-18 shooting with three triples to go along with four assists and two steals.
• Cora Shafer chipped in 18 points (8-of-13), eight rebounds, and three blocks off the bench.
• Alex Bull contributed eight points, four steals, four assists, and three rebounds.
• The Sea Gulls shot 49.4 percent (41-of-83) from the floor, including an impressive 73.7 percent (14-of-19) mark during the third quarter. SU went 10-of-20 (50 percent) from three-point range and 6-of-8 (75 percent) from the free throw line.
• Salisbury outrebounded the Gophers 60-39 overall and 20-17 on the offensive glass.
• SU assisted on 31 of its 41 buckets, led by eight helpers from Ainsley Raybold.
• The Sea Gulls' 98 points made for their highest offensive output in nearly six years. SU put up 116 points, also against Goucher, on Dec. 29, 2017.

GOUCHER GAME NOTES

• Merci Turner led the Gophers with 11 points on 5-of-18 shooting and 11 rebounds for a double-double.
• Julia Cavoli and Maiya Villanueva each scored nine points.
• The Gophers shot 24.7 percent (18-of-73) from the floor, going 8-of-31 (25.8 percent) from deep and 1-of-5 (20 percent) from the charity stripe.

UP NEXT

• The Sea Gulls will head down to Lexington, Va., for the Washington & Lee invitational over the weekend.
• SU will battle hosts W&L on Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by a matchup with Lynchburg on Sunday at 2 p.m.

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Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with the New Jersey Athletic Conference for football and men's and women's swimming, and the Coastal Lacrosse Conference for men's lacrosse. With over 500 student-athletes in 21 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have celebrated 23 team national championships, 24 individual national champions, 197 conference championships, and 45 Academic All-Americans.

To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit www.SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.