UPLAND, Ind. – The Goshen College men's basketball team out shot and out rebounded host Taylor University, but could not win the most important battle – the one on the scoreboard – as they dropped a 71-64 Mid-Central College Conference contest on the road Saturday afternoon.

The Maple Leafs hit 44% from the field to Taylor's 43%.  They also had the edge on the board (34-27), including grabbing 10 on the offensive glass.  The hosts, though, were able to attack the basket with tremendous success, finishing the game with 34 free throw attempts.  They hit a strong 79%, including 21-of-26 in the second half when they used a 13-4 run to break away from Goshen.

The Maple Leafs got off to a strong start, scoring ten of the game's first 12 points to go up eight.  Junior Casey Pratt and freshman Kody Chandler were leading the charge early.  Pratt scored four points in a quick 6-0 Goshen spurt, while Chandler had a basket and four rebounds in the opening seven minutes of action.

A slow offensive start for the Trojans saw them score just six points in the first nine minutes of the opening half as the Leafs opened their largest lead of the game at 15-9.  They quickly turned the tide, though, using hot-shooting from Nate Kasper and Ben Raichel who combined to score all eight points during an 8-0 spell which cut their deficit to a single point.

Then, junior Casey Coons got hot.  The junior guard hit a 3-pointer with 4:53 remaining in the stanza to give the Trojans their first lead of the contest (23-22).  They would eventually go up by as many as five before a Matthew Martin 3-pointer in the final minutes sent the teams into the break knotted at 32-32.

Neither side was able to grab more than a three point cushion in the first five minutes of the second half and the score was tied again (40-40) with less than 15 to play.  The five-minute span that followed determined the outcome of the contest.  Goshen committed three fouls in a thirty second period, turned the ball over five times in four-plus minutes, and hit just 1-of-5 from the field as Taylor rallied for a 12-2 run and 52-42 lead.

The Maple Leafs immediately responded with an 8-1 spurt to get within three, but each time they made a run, the Trojans were able to answer.  The hosts ability to convert at the free throw line made it impossible for Goshen to rally enough for a complete comeback. 

Casey Coons hits 11-of-12 from the line for a game-high 22 points, while Nate Kasper added 18.  Juniors Mike Betcher and Matthew Martin led the Maple Leafs with 16 and 12 points, respectively. 

The Maple Leafs (15-7, 5-5 MCC) stay in a crowded pack (six-way tie for third place) in the Mid-Central College Conference as they host Bethel College on Tuesday at 7:30 as part of a women's/ men's double header against the Pilots.