With the win, the Gophers moved into a tie with Mary Washington for second place in the Capital Athletic Conference, two games behind York, which posted a 67-57 victory over Catholic tonight.
The Gophers (16-6, 7-4 CAC) were down 8-3 early in the contest, but erased that deficit with a run of 11 consecutive points, taking a 14-8 lead on a lay-up by James Russo with 15:15 remaining in the first half.
The Eagles (15-7, 7-4 CAC) regained the lead at 19-18, but Goucher went ahead to stay on a follow by Garrett Smith. Smith was fouled on the play and hit the free throw, providing the Gophers with a 21-19 advantage midway through the first half.
With Russo and Smith combining for 20 points in the first half, Goucher was able to extend its lead to 43-32 at the break. The Gophers were 16-for-31 from the field in the first half (.516).
Goucher had an even better shooting performance in the second half, connecting on 16 of their 28 attempts (.571). The Gophers assumed their biggest lead of the contest on a free throw by Russo that made the score 59-35 with 13:22 left to play.
Russo, who was 9-for-16 from the field, including 6-of-11 from three-point range, supplied the Gophers with a career-high 28 points. Smith posted his 12th double-double of the season by scoring 19 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Mary Washington's Mike Lee, the CAC's leading scorer going in at 21.9 points per game, burned the Gophers for 30 points, but none of his teammates managed to score more than nine.
It was Goucher's first win over the Eagles since a 66-65 victory in the opening round of the 2001-02 CAC championship tournament. The Gophers now lead the all-time series between the two schools 16-15.