MAR. 3 — Walsh Begins Career With All-MCC Award; High Follows
Team's leading scorers, rebounders recognized by league coaches

Freshman Eric Walsh Junior Jeremy High

Indianapolis, IN — After helping Goshen win nearly double as many games as it did in 2001-2002, freshman Eric Walsh was named to the Mid-Central Collegiate Conference’s Third Team All-Conference, an award voted on by league coaches. Walsh finished the season with a team-leading 15.7 points per game and seven rebounds per game, while setting a new Goshen single-season record for free throws made and attempted (177 for 245). The previous records stood at 127 free throws made and 171 attempted.

“Eric did a tremendous job for his first year of college ball,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “He possesses some desire and relentlessness that you can’t teach, and that will continue to help him as he matures.”

While Walsh’s stats did decrease a bit in conference play — he scored 14.6 points per game and averaged 5.9 boards per contest — his numbers were still good enough to be the league’s 10th-best scorer and 11th-best rebounder in conference games. Walsh was also sixth in the conference in field goal percentage, connecting on 56.2 percent of his shots.

“I thought that Eric learned a lot about his own game as he went through the conference schedule,” Daugherty said. “He is really just scratching the surface of his overall basketball ability and I think you’ll see his best days are ahead of him here.”

Junior Jeremy High was selected to the MCC’s Honorable Mention list, after scoring 15 points per game and grabbing 5.6 rebounds per contest. In league play, High finished ninth in scoring averaging 14.9 points per contest, while finishing 13th in field goal percentage connecting on 46 percent of his shots. At 6-2, High was also asked to defend the post for the entire year, as he continually had to go against bigger and stronger players. He also finished conference play as the 15th-best player in assists per game, averaging 2.43 dishes a game.

“Jeremy has been one of our most improved players from last year,” Daugherty said. “He is a versatile player who has to always guard the opponent's biggest player. He has been one of our offensive weapons in that he can score both inside and from the three-point line. I am looking for even bigger things as Jeremy heads into his senior season.”

Goshen ended the year with an overall record of 13-20, a vast improvement from Daugherty’s first season where the team finished 7-26. To view all MCC post season all-conference teams and awards, click here.

Early D: Freshman Eric Walsh contests a shot by Huntington’s Justin Riegsecker in the first half of Wednesday night’s MCC Tournament game.

Inside look: Sophomore Troy Springer attempts a lay up in the second half play Wednesday night.

Huntington, IN — Using a 14-0 run to start the first half and a 23-6 run to begin the second half against Goshen, host Huntington displayed the reasons they are ranked as the 11th-best team in the country in an 84-53 defeat of the Leafs in the first round of the Mid-Central Collegiate Conference Tournament Wednesday night. While the eighth-seeded Leafs did come back to make a game of it before halftime — Goshen trailed by only seven at the intermission — the MCC’s regular-season champions opened up the haymaker in the second period, outscoring Goshen by a 51-27 count when the smoke finally cleared.

“After a shaky start, I was pleased with the final 14 minutes of the first half,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “We defended them well and we started playing better offensively. We cut the lead from 14 to 7 at half and held them to 34 percent shooting from the field. We battled them even on the boards and I thought we had accepted the physical nature of the game and adapted well. The second half was another story.”

Goshen (13-20, 2-12) could only muster a nine of 29 performance from the field in the second period (31 percent) after shooting 11 for 29 in the first half (40 percent). Similarly, the squad’s three-point shooting in the second half became atrocious, as the Leafs could only connect on one of 12 attempts (eight percent). Meanwhile, Huntington began to heat up from everywhere, connecting on 63 percent of its second-half attempts while knocking in eight of 12 second half three-balls (67 percent) in giving Goshen its worst defeat of the season.

“Huntington shot the ball extremely well and the momentum of the game clearly turned in their favor,” Daugherty said. “We did not respond well and shot poorly for the entire half. Huntington truly played like a championship team in the second half and we were not able to contend with anything that they did to us as a team.”

Goshen was led by junior Jeremy High’s 19 points on seven of 15 shooting. Freshman Eric Walsh scored 15 on seven of 12 shooting. High collected six boards, while Walsh grabbed seven. No other Goshen player scored more than five points, as the Leafs struggled shooting the ball while having several great looks: Goshen only connected on four three of 26 three-pointers on the evening, good for 15 percent.

“Overall, I thought we played hard, but when you don't shoot the ball well it compounds everything that you do on the offensive end,” Daugherty said. “That in turn leads to several fastbreak opportunities that eventually wears you down on the defensive end of the floor. Huntington took advantage of this and consistently found the open man and hit shots.”

Check back to this website for announcements regarding Goshen’s post-season banquet, along with the most up-to-date information on recruiting and off-season news.

Junior Josh Turnpaugh Freshman Eric Walsh

Goshen, IN — For the sixth time in Mid-Central Collegiate Conference play this season, Goshen dropped a game by seven points or less. For the fourth time, it was by five points or less. The latest nail biter came at St. Francis on Saturday, where Goshen fought back from a 16-point second half deficit only to fall by an 84-88 count in the waning moments of the game.

“We certainly put ourselves in a position to win the game today,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “I was very proud of our comeback in the second half. We really stepped it up on defense and we played very smart on offense during our run in the second half. It came down to making a couple of plays again late. We needed one more stop on defense and one more basket on offense.”

Goshen (13-19, 2-12) put together a solid first half, keeping the host Cougars at arm’s length for most of the period, trailing at one time by 11 points but closing the gap to just one at the half, as Goshen trailed 38-39 at the break. A sluggish start to the second half gave St. Francis room to make a run, and the Cougars responded: A 17 to two St. Francis run to open the second period made the score 56-40 before Daugherty took a time out to console his team.

Slowly, the Leafs began to crawl back into the mix. Almost thirteen minutes after Daugherty called the timeout, Goshen possessed a 79-78 lead with 2:08 to play in the game, setting up yet another cardiac finish for the team.

After a pair of Mark Wenclewicz (senior) free throws, Goshen led by an 84-83 count with just 35 seconds remaining. St. Francis ran a set play immediately, freeing up John Gensic for a three-pointer with 22 seconds left. With Goshen now trailing 84-86, Daugherty called timeout. The Leafs’ final offensive possession was disrupted by a sticky defensive effort from St. Francis, as junior Jeremy High took a contested three-pointer with six seconds remaining. It fell short, and the Cougars rebounded. After a pair of free throws, Goshen’s moot attempt at the buzzer fell short.

“The beginning of the second half was a difficult stretch for us,” Daugherty said. “St. Francis opened the half with a run to stretch their lead to 16. From that point on we played very well. We chipped away at the lead and eventually took a one-point lead twice in the final two minutes of the game. But, as in all close games, it comes down to which team makes more plays at the end.”

Goshen was led by junior Josh Turnpaugh’s 16 points behind a four of five effort from three-point land. Freshman Eric Walsh also scored 16. Wenclewicz returned from a brief bout with the flu to score 15 points and grab five rebounds, while High finished with 13 points and five boards. Junior forward Peter Martensson stepped in and contributed, scoring seven points in just five minutes of work.

“My hope is that we can now take all of our experiences from this season, particularly in the conference, and play our best game in the conference tournament,” Daugherty said. “I have been very pleased with our improvement in the league and our competitive nature from game to game. Now it is time to play our best game of the year.”

Goshen finishes the MCC season as the eighth-place team, and will travel to first-seed and 15th-ranked Huntington Wednesday night. Game time is set for 7 p.m. For a complete list of conference standings and tournament pairings, click here.

Hard drive: Freshman Eric Walsh attacks the basket in the second half of Tuesday night’s game against Bethel.

Last time: Senior Mark Wenclewicz returns to action following a timeout against Bethel. For Wenclewicz and classmate Phil Mikel, the game was their last one in a home uniform.

Goshen, IN — Living up to what has become the cross-town rivalry in the Mid-Central Collegiate Conference, the Goshen-Bethel clash on Tuesday night in Goshen’s sold-out Roman Gingerich Center did not disappoint, as the squads competed in a physical, intense contest for 40 full minutes. In the end, it was Bethel that took the game by a 75-80 score, despite a supreme effort from a Goshen team honoring its two seniors in Mark Wenclewicz and Phil Mikel in their last home game of the year.

“It was a tremendous small college atmosphere tonight, and we couldn’t have asked for a better environment to thank our seniors in,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach.

Wenclewicz and Mikel were joined by their parents and grandparents in a brief ceremony before the contest, as both received a standing ovation from the crowd. Starting the game, however, it was apparent that Goshen (13-18, 2-11) was over-hyped by the evening’s preliminary events as the team stumbled through the first six minutes, missing 10 of its first 12 shots from the field while falling behind by a 5-17 score. Bethel would push the lead to 17 points with 3:17 remaining in the first period, and it looked as if Goshen’s senior night was going to turn into an all-out debacle. Luckily, the Leafs were able to finish the half with a small six to nothing run to make the score 35-24, Bethel, at the half.

“We were in a big hurry offensively in the first half and we rushed some shots,” Daugherty said. “We tried to do too much rather than just let the game come to us. We were down 11 at half and had not played well at all.”

In the second period, the Leafs began to shoot the ball better and slowly chip away at the Pilot lead. A huge four-point play by Wenclewicz at the 16-minute mark made the score 35-42, Pilots, and the crowd began to sense a momentum shift.

The teams would trade baskets for much of the next 12 minutes, setting up a spectacular final four minutes. With 4:30 remaining, junior Jeremy High drilled a three-pointer. On the ensuing defensive possession, High stole the ball and outleted to a streaking Wenclewicz, who finished at the rim. On the next possession, Mikel came up with a steal that started another fastbreak, with freshman Eric Walsh finishing off a feed from Wenclewicz. That series made the score 71-69, Bethel, and the Roman Gingerich Center began to rock as the Pilots called a timeout.

Bethel calmly went to its inside game over the next two minutes, and was able to push the lead back to eight with 1:52 remaining. Another small Goshen run triggered by a High three and a Wenclewicz layup made the score 77-75, Bethel, with 37 seconds to play. Bethel junior Ricky Gooden connected on two free throws to seal it, however, as Goshen could get no closer.

“In the second half, we shot the ball better and got into some offensive flow,” Daugherty said. “Defensively, I thought we played hard for most of the night. We were giving up some height and weight in the low post, but we contested most of their inside shots. They are an excellent rebounding team and we had to work hard for each rebound. I was proud of our players and their comeback from a second half deficit of 12 points to get within two points on two different occasions. At that stage of the game, we are in a position to win if we can make a few more plays. I thought that our seniors both played well in their final home game. Mark shot the ball well the second half and helped lead the comeback. Phil handled the ball well and had some great assists to also lead in the comeback.”

Aside from Goshen’s slow start, Bethel had the upper-hand on the inside, outrebounding Goshen by a 43-30 margin while collecting 14 offensive boards for 13 second-chance points. Bethel only converted on two of 16 three-point attempts (13 percent) but scorched Goshen from the free throw line, hitting 20 of 27 (74 percent) while the Leafs only attempted 20 (while making 15). The five-point loss to the Pilots marks Goshen’s fifth conference loss by seven points or less, and third by five points or less.

“Coach used a good analogy to our guys following the game, talking about how we are almost there,” said Cory Furman, Goshen assistant coach. “We’re on our way, we’ve got the right directions, but we’re just stuck in traffic. We’ll get to where we want to be eventually.”

Goshen was led by Wenclewicz’s 21 points on four of eight three-point shooting. Walsh chipped in 17 points to go with 10 rebounds, while High scored 13. Freshman Jordan Buller scored 11 points, while Mikel finished the game with five points, four rebounds and a team-high five assists.

Goshen will end the regular season at St. Francis this Saturday. Game time is set for 3 p.m. It is still uncertain where the Leafs will finish in the conference standings, or who the Leafs will face in the first round of the conference tournament. For all possible scenarios in the MCC’s final standings, click here.

Goshen, IN — In a game that had 12 ties and 11 lead changes, it was Marian who took advantage of the biggest point-spread in the game, as the visiting Knights were able to hold off a pursuing Goshen squad in a 76-71 win in the Roman Gingerich Center Saturday. Aside from an eight-minute stretch that encompassed the last two minutes of the first half and the first six minutes of the second, neither team ever led by more than five points. However, a Goshen skid during that stretch allowed Marian to lead by as many as 11 points, and the Leafs could not take the game over late.

“That middle stretch really hurt us,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “After we got down 11, we really began to play well, as we eventually got the lead back late. But, we needed to make a couple more plays late in the game, and didn’t. Against a team as good as Marian, we’ve got to be better for a full 40 minutes.”

Goshen (13-17, 2-10) had played Marian to a tie (29-29) with just three minutes to play in the first half. However, a pair of Knights’ free throws and back-to-back three-point baskets in the final two-minute stretch put a sever damper on Goshen’s cause, as the Leafs went into the locker room trailing 31-37.

Marian would extend the lead to 31-42 with 17:21 to play in the game, but after a Goshen timeout Daugherty’s squad responded with inspired play. The Leafs used a 15 to six run over the next six minutes to tie the score at 48 apiece, setting up what would be a neck-and-neck finish.

In the final seven minutes of the game, neither team would lead by more than three points. Goshen secured a 61-58 lead with 6:06 to play, but Marian would not go away. A made basket by Jeremy Budreau with 25 seconds to play gave Marian a 72-69 lead. Goshen freshman Eric Walsh scored a layup with seven seconds to play, cutting the Marian lead to one. However, Knight senior Brad Metzger calmly knocked down four straight free throws down the stretch, icing the game for his team.

Goshen was led by Walsh’s 16 points on the afternoon. Classmate Jordan Buller scored 13 points to go with four assists, while junior Jeremy High scored 12 points while grabbing a game-high nine rebounds. Senior Mark Wenclewicz scored 12 points as well for the Leafs.

“We gave a good effort overall, but it has to be a more consistent, smarter effort,” Daugherty said.

Goshen will host rival Bethel on Tuesday night. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

Game winner: Freshman Jordan Buller sinks what would be the game-winning free throw in the waning moments of Tuesday night’s game at Indiana Wesleyan.

Three-bomb: Junior Josh Turnpaugh cans a big three-point field goal in the second half against the Wildcats.

Marion, IN — Behind a truly collective team effort, the Goshen men’s basketball team secured a 71-70 road win over Mid-Central Collegiate rival Indiana Wesleyan Tuesday night, the squad’s first MCC road win of the season. Ten of the Leafs’ 12 dressed players played in the game, while all had integral roles in the win according to head coach Stan Daugherty.

“This was a great win for us on many levels, but most importantly from the aspect that it really took all of us to get it done,” Daugherty said. “Each one of our guys brought something to the floor tonight in whatever roles they were asked to perform, including the guys who didn’t play a minute. We were truly on the same page tonight.”

In a nip and tuck game down the final two minutes, it was Goshen (13-16, 2-9) who had the slight edge