Williams’ only points of the contest came 17 seconds after the Gophers had taken their final lead of the game, 63-62, on a layup by junior guard Shadae Swan (Baltimore, MD/St. Frances Academy).
The victory lifts the Lady Raptors to 5-7, snapping a two-game losing streak. The Gophers fall to 2-9.
In the championship game, host University of Scranton defeated Stevens Institute of Technology, 54-37, to capture its sixth straight Diversified Invitational title. The Lady Royals are ranked fourth and sixth nationally in the d3hoops.com and the USA Today ESPN Division III Top 25 polls, respectively.
In a game which featured eight lead changes and nine ties, Goucher took a 35-28 halftime lead and led most of the second half before the Lady Raptors rallied. The Raptors built a 57-53 lead with 5:20 remaining on a layup by junior guard Imani Hafiz (Franklinville, NJ/Delsea Regional), but the Gophers scored the next four points to tie the game at 57-57 with 4:33 remaining. The lead changed hands six times down the stretch, including the final game-winning basket by Williams.
Rutgers-Camden received 17 points apiece from junior guard Carmen Oyola (Hammonton, NJ/Hammonton) and Hafiz. Oyola, who scored a team-high 11 points in Friday night’s opening-game loss to Scranton, was named to the all-tournament team.
Senior forward Karen Carter (Pennsauken, NJ/Pennsauken) collected 15 points and five rebounds for the Lady Raptors, while Hafiz chipped in with six assists and four steals.
Junior guard Krystal Jankowski (Somerdale, NJ/Sterling) notched game-high totals of nine rebounds, seven assists and five steals for the Raptors. She added seven points.
For Goucher, Swan notched a game-high 28 points on her way to a berth on the all-tournament team. She also notched seven rebounds, three steals and two assists. Freshman guard Amber Smith (Baltimore, MD/Institute of Notre Dame) added 10 for the Gophers.
The Lady Raptors return to action Monday when they host King’s College in a 6 p.m. non-conference game. Goucher returns to action the same day, hosting Methodist in a 3 p.m. game.