| 2003 - 2004
Season News
MAR.
8 — Walsh Honored With First Team All-MCC Status
Sophomore
gets second award in as many seasons; High named honorable mention
 Sophomore
Eric Walsh
 Senior
Jeremy High |
Indianapolis,
IN — For the second consecutive year, Goshen College
men’s basketball sophomore Eric Walsh was honored by
Mid-Central Conference coaches, being named to the 2003-2004
All-MCC First Team after leading Goshen to a 21-12 overall
record, the best in school history.
Walsh scored a team-leading 19.2 points per game in league play, second only
to Indiana Wesleyan University senior Aaron Brothers (19.6 points per game).
Walsh was also fourth in the MCC in rebounding with 7.3 rebounds per game,
and made 58.1 percent of his shots during conference play, good for third-best
in the league.
“Eric Walsh had an outstanding year,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen
head coach. “Not only did he lead us in scoring and rebounding, but he
continued to bring a great work ethic to practices and games.”
Walsh was named to Third Team All-MCC status following his freshman campaign,
and his 2003-2004 first team award marks the first time in Daugherty’s
short tenure as head coach that a Goshen player has achieved first team accolades.
On the season, Walsh averaged 18.4 points per game and 7.2 boards per game,
including making 187 of 310 total shots, equaling a team-leading 60.3 percent
field goal percentage. Walsh also made and attempted more free throws in a
single season (208 for 260, 80 percent) than anyone in Goshen history, as well
as finishing second in the country in both categories at the NAIA Division
II level.
“Eric worked hard in the off-season to make himself stronger and that was
a big asset to his game this year, allowing him to finish more shots in addition
to getting to the free throw line,” Daugherty said. “I believe that
he will continue to work hard and set new goals for himself as his career progresses
at Goshen College.”
Senior Jeremy High joined Walsh in collecting his second straight All-MCC award,
being chosen as honorable mention status after averaging 10.6 points per game
and four rebounds per game this season. High finished 14th in the league in
assists (31), eighth in three-point field goals made per game (1.6) and 20th
in scoring (10.4). On the year, High knocked in a total 121 of 265 shots (45.7
percent) and finished second on the team in assists with 88 helpers.
“Jeremy High has again been rewarded for his versatile play at Goshen,” Daugherty
said. “He was asked to give up some scoring opportunities to become more
of a playmaker and he responded well. I think that Jeremy’s ability to
play all over the court was a big reason for our success this year. He could
make those changes within a game and that gave us the flexibility to adjust to
several circumstances from game to game. I was very pleased that Jeremy could
go out on a winning team.”
Taylor University’s Eric Ford and Marian College’s Tim Adams were
chosen as MCC Co-Players Of The Year. The MCC finished regular-season competition
as arguably the toughest conference in the country at the NAIA Division II
level, taking three teams to the NAIA National Tournament this week — the
most by any league — while six of the eight conference teams boasted
20-win seasons this year. To view a complete list of All-MCC award winners,
click here. Check
back to this website for the most up-to-date recruiting information, including
post-season award banquet news.
FEB.
25 — Goshen Dream Dissipates At Buzzer In MCCs
Leafs
give absolute effort at #14 Huntington; fall 71-73 as last-second
shot for win just misses
|
 Under
and in: Sophomore
Jordan Buller scoops a shot in the second half of
Wednesday night’s game at Huntington. Buller
finished with 13 points.
|
 Not
to be: Sophomore
Tyler Sheerer’s attempt at a potential game-winning
three-pointer fell harmlessly off the rim as time expired. |
Huntington,
IN — Perhaps the most uplifting ideal the Goshen College
men’s basketball team could take from Wednesday night’s
71-73 Mid-Central Conference Tournament-opening loss at 14th-ranked
Huntington College was that the squad couldn’t have
put itself in a better opportunity to win, and came up just
short at the very end.
And, perhaps, that was the most saddening ideal as well.
After an all-out, championship-caliber effort helped earn the Leafs the ball
and a two-point deficit with eight seconds to play in regulation, sophomore
Tyler Sheerer’s game-winning three-point attempt bounced harmlessly to
the ground as time expired, giving the second-seeded Foresters a stomach-turning
73-71 win to advance in post-season play. With the loss, Goshen finished competition
with an overall record of 21-12, tops in school history.
“You can talk and talk about this game, but words will never fully grasp
what it was unless you were there,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “I
couldn’t be prouder of our effort tonight. We played harder than in any
game in my three years here, and possibly harder than any team I’ve ever
coached. Given Huntington’s recent successes in the tournament on their
home floor, being in a position to win the game at the end is a tremendous tribute
to our players.”
Daugherty’s squad used a pressuring man-to-man defense to jump-start
its attack from the outset, forcing the Foresters into consecutive turnovers
to open the game with a 10-4 lead just three and a half minutes in. The Leafs
pushed their lead to eight points at the 6:33 and 5:33 marks, but Huntington
closed the first period with a rally: A 17 to five Forester run made the score
43-39, Huntington, with just seconds remaining. Sophomore Jordan Buller canned
a deep three-pointer right at the halftime buzzer, however, cutting the Huntington
lead to a single point at intermission.
Goshen was able to score the first points of the second half, taking a three-point
lead just minutes into the stanza. From there it would be a nip and tuck game,
filled with big time plays and extreme effort — 10 lead changes and seven
ties saw neither team lead by more than six points at any time in the second
half, setting the stage for an incredible finish.
With 2:36 to play, Huntington claimed its largest lead at 67-61. As the capacity
crowd grew to a fever pitch and the momentum clearly swung to the host team’s
side, Goshen came up with absolutely clutch plays: A long-range three-pointer
by Buller and a closely guarded trey by senior Jeremy High on the Leafs’ next
two possessions tied the game at 67 with 2:06 remaining, silencing the crowd
and giving Daugherty’s team a newfound belief. The Forester’s Seth
Lochmuller canned an equally huge three-pointer on Huntington’s next
trip, making the score 70-67, Foresters, at the 1:43 mark. Again it was High
coming up big for Goshen, though, collecting an enormous offensive rebound
putback in the lane, plus a Forester foul. High’s free throw was off
the mark, and Huntington still led, 70-69 with 1:16 to play.
The Leafs were able to get a big defensive stop on Huntington’s next
offensive possession, but sophomore Eric Walsh had his shot blocked with 35
seconds remaining on the Leafs’ next trip. Goshen fouled Forester senior
Derek Yoder with 18 seconds to play, and his two free throws made the score
72-69. After taking the inbounds, Buller raced down the floor to convert an
up-and-under layup with nine seconds remaining, cutting the lead to a single
point. Forced to foul, Goshen sent Huntington freshman Trevor Shively to the
line with just eight seconds remaining. He hit the first but missed the second,
creating the Leafs’ final opportunity for the upset.
As Buller raced down the left hand side of the court, he flipped the ball to
Sheerer for a 25-foot attempt to win the game. His shot was long and to the
left, and Walsh’s putback effort came just after time expired.
“Coach Daugherty took a timeout (between Shively’s free throws) and
we had discussed our plan, no matter if it was a two- or three-point game,” said
Cory Furman, Goshen assistant coach. “We were going for the win if he missed
his second shot. Our players believed in that plan, and we as a coaching staff
believed in that plan. We don’t regret our decision to try to win it at
the end instead of trying for overtime. Tyler had a good look. We’ll take
that shot every time.”
High finished with a game-high 20 points in his final contest in a Goshen uniform,
also grabbing a game-high nine rebounds. Buller chipped in 13 points on five
of seven shooting, while senior Josh Turnpaugh scored 10 points on a four of
seven effort from the field. Sheerer finished with nine points, missing just
two of his five three-point attempts.
“We had a solid game plan that we stuck to for 40 minutes and it put us
in a position to win the game,” Daugherty said. “Our effort defensively,
especially in the second half, was outstanding. I thought our offensive scheme
to spread the floor was effective. Our scheme hurt Eric Walsh somewhat in his
ability to drive the ball, but I thought Eric adjusted very well and passed the
ball well on his penetration moves. Overall, it was a hard played game at a place
that is hard to win at in the post season.”
Goshen connected on 48.3 percent of its shots on the night (28 of 58), as Huntington
knocked in 49.1 percent of its tries (28 of 57). The Leafs did limit the Foresters
to just a 10 for 26 performance from the floor (38.5 percent) in the second
half, though Huntington knocked in five of those 10 from three-point range.
Huntington also ended with a 39 to 27 advantage on the boards for the game,
with a 13 to five lead in offensive rebounding.
“If there was one area that eventually hurt us, it was their second chances,” Daugherty
said. “There were some times when we just didn’t block out as well
as we should have and they secured offensive rebounds. Our effort on hustle plays
was good all night long, though. We had a passion for getting to the basketball
throughout the game.”
The nail-biting finish Wednesday night concluded the careers of seniors High,
Turnpaugh, Darin Nunemaker, Mark Wilson and Peter Martensson, a group that
has helped turn the program around in their time in uniform. Daugherty said
he was proud of the way they ended their careers, although he would have like
them to continue for a bit longer, at least.
“We played hard and physical and didn’t back down at all from tough
situations throughout the game tonight,” Daugherty said. “You always
want to play your best basketball at the end of the year and we certainly have
done that the last three weeks of the season. Our seniors went out knowing that
they literally gave all they had in their last game.”
Check back to this website for recruiting information as well as post-season
awards and announcements. The Goshen College men’s basketball banquet
information will be displayed here as it becomes available. To contact Stan
Daugherty, call him at (574) 535-7493 or click here to
send him an email.
FEB.
21 — #17 USF Outscores Goshen 96-92 On Senior Day
Cougars
pounce on loose balls, offensive rebounds to nip Leafs in the
end
|
 Curtain
call: Goshen
seniors Jeremy High, Darin Nunemaker, Josh Turnpaugh,
Peter Martensson and Mark Wilson receive a round
of applause with their parents before Saturday’s
game with St. Francis.
|
 Crafty
move: Sophomore
Jordan Buller gets inside to score two of his 18 points
in second half action against the Cougars. |
Goshen,
IN — For Goshen’s five senior basketball players,
the University of St. Francis just got too many chances Saturday
afternoon in the Roman Gingerich Center. Behind the help
of 30 second-chance points, the 17th-ranked Cougars bolted
ahead, got down and came back to defeat the Leafs by a 96-92
score, concluding seniors’ Jeremy High, Darin Nunemaker,
Josh Turnpaugh, Peter Martensson and Mark Wilson’s
home careers in heartbreaking fashion.
“This was an outstanding offensive game for both teams, and it had to be
exciting for fans to witness,” said Goshen head coach Stan Daugherty. “We
didn’t react well to loose balls and long rebounds, especially in the second
half, and St. Francis made some tough shots down the stretch. Like so many of
our conference games, it came down to just a couple of plays.”
A jam-packed crowd witnessed Goshen fall behind almost instantly, as St. Francis
raced off to a 10-0 start in the game’s first three minutes. Slowly,
the Leafs mounted a comeback, outscoring the Cougars by 21 points over the
half’s next 16 minutes, taking a 52-41 lead with just 39 seconds remaining
in the period. A pair of made free throws by the Cougars cut the deficit to
52-43 at the half, and the Leafs looked to be in good shape at the intermission.
It was St. Francis that slowly cut into Goshen’s lead to start the second
half, however, as the Cougars’ 20 to 11 run over the half’s first
six and a half minutes knotted the score at 63 at the 13:39 mark. The Cougars
would then lead by as many as four points over the game’s next five minutes,
only for the Leafs to make a push. A 10 to one Goshen run in the span of two
and a half minutes gave Daugherty’s team an 81-76 lead with 6:02 to play.
Again St. Francis responded, scoring five straight points to again tie the
game, and a cardiac finish was set up. Three ties and three lead changes in
the game’s final five minutes would end with St. Francis making clutch
plays —an offensive rebound putback by sophomore Dusty Beucler at the
42 second mark put the Cougars up 89-87, and Goshen could not connect on its
ensuing possession. Forced to foul to stop the clock, St. Francis proved to
be money at the foul line: The Cougars knocked in 11 of their last 12 freebies — the
lone miss came with one second remaining and a four-point lead in hand — to
keep away a determined Goshen squad in the last 30 seconds.
“I was pleased with our effort and our execution, but again we just had
trouble getting to some loose basketballs that we need to in order to win,” Daugherty
said. “For the most part, our defense was fairly solid. We just couldn’t
secure a rebound or a deflected pass, and St. Francis made the most of second,
and sometimes third chance opportunities.”
The Cougars shot 50 percent from the floor in the second period (16 of 32),
a fitting number since 18 of their 53 second half points came off of offensive
rebounds. St. Francis obtained a 13 to four advantage on the offensive glass
in the second half, and scored a total 26 points off of 12 Goshen turnovers
on the night — a ridiculously efficient number.
The Leafs were able to stay close and have a chance to win largely due to their
offensive abilities: Goshen knocked in 32 of 57 shots on the afternoon (56.1
percent) including a scorching 15 of 23 attempts in the second half (65.2 percent).
While the Cougars could not match those numbers in terms of percentages (31
of 63, 49.2 percent) the extra six attempts and major advantage at the free
throw line (25 of 33 compared to Goshen’s 16 of 19) played out the difference
in the contest.
Sophomore Eric Walsh scored 26 points to lead the Goshen charge, followed by
classmate Jordan Buller and senior Jeremy High, each scoring 18 points. Senior
Mark Wilson scored seven points — all in the first half — to help
the Leafs come back from their early deficit.
“I think we have played our most competitive basketball over the last three
weeks of the season,” Daugherty said. “Our goal now is to put our
best game together on both ends of the floor for the conference tournament.”
Goshen finished tied for sixth in the final Mid-Central Conference standings.
A tie-breaking system pushed the Leafs into the seventh-seeded position, meaning
the team will travel to second-seeded and 19th-ranked Huntington College to
open MCC Tournament play Wednesday night. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
FEB.
17 — Leafs Ruin Bethel's Senior Night, 72-65
Goshen
hangs tough throughout contest; makes plays down stretch to
win
|
 Floating: Sophomore
Eric Walsh scores two of his team-high 17 points in
second half action Tuesday night.
|
 Toughness
late: Goshen
head coach Stan Daugherty and assistant coach Cory
Furman discuss strategy during a late timeout against
Bethel. |
Mishawaka,
IN — Maybe, just maybe, it was the purple uniforms
that propelled the Goshen College men’s basketball
team to a 72-65 win over host Bethel College Tuesday evening
in the Wiekamp Center, spoiling the Pilots’ senior
night in their final home game of the season.
Nah.
Goshen used a 38-26 second half advantage and some very, very tough play down
the stretch to hand Bethel its third straight Mid-Central Conference loss,
making the alternate road uniforms more of a coincidence than the determining
factor for the win. After trailing for the first 38 minutes of the contest,
Goshen was able to chip away at the Pilot lead and come up with some huge sequences
late, making enough plays to ice the game and give head coach Stan Daugherty’s
squad its third win in its last four games.
“This was an outstanding road win for our team,” Daugherty said. “Bethel
has traditionally been a tough place for visitors to play and for us to finish
the second half as strong as we did is a real tribute to our players. I have
been very pleased with our mental toughness and our resolve in tough situations
over the past three weeks, and that was exactly the case tonight.”
The tough situations started right off the bat for Goshen (21-10, 4-9), as
Bethel junior Josh Weimer buried a three-pointer just seven seconds into the
game to give his team the early lead. It was a lead Bethel would not relinquish
until much later, as Goshen trailed by as many as eight points in the first
half before pulling to a 39-34 halftime deficit.
The second period would start in almost the exact same fashion, with Weimer
opening the half with another jumper and four missed shots by the Leafs in
their first five possessions — the other resulted in a turnover — giving
the Pilots a 44-34 lead just two minutes into the stanza.
Undaunted, the Leafs began their slow trek back into the game. With 11:06 to
play Bethel’s lead was just 48-47, but again the host team pushed the
advantage back to six points. A pair of Jordan Buller (sophomore) free throws
made the score 57-54, Pilots with 6:38 to play, and from there it would be
a game of enormous possessions. Bethel and Goshen traded baskets over the next
six exchanges, until senior Jeremy High broke the two-point field goal monotony
with a tough three-pointer from the top of the key, tying the game for the
first time with 3:41 to play. Sophomore Eric Walsh gave Goshen its first lead
with a driving layup at the 2:04 mark, only to be answered by Bethel on its
next trip. On the following Leaf possession, it was again Walsh who came up
big, driving to the basket for a layup and a foul with 1:14 to play. His made
free throw made the score 68-65, Leafs, and Goshen would get defensive stops
to seal the game: Bethel missed four three-point attempts in its last three
possessions, and Daugherty’s team knocked down its last four free throw
attempts to finish things off in style.
Goshen limited Bethel to just 11 for 29 shooting (37.9 percent) in the second
half, and a one for eight clip (12.5 percent) from three-point land. Daugherty’s
squad also held Pilot senior Josh Keister — who scorched the Leafs for
30 points in Bethel’s 90-85 win over Goshen on Jan. 24 — to just
10 points on the evening.
“Defensively, our effort the last 10 minutes of the game was just fabulous,” said
Daugherty. “We got some big stops late in the game and came up with some
big rebounds. Holding them to 26 second-half points at their place was quite
an accomplishment. On the offensive end, we made some big plays in the final
three minutes. I liked our poise and I though we played down the stretch with
a real purpose. Once again, I think our defense and rebounding continues to improve
in the last month of the season. It is good to see us strive to continue to improve
and get better as we head into the conference tournament.”
Walsh led the Leafs in scoring on the evening, notching 17 points to go with
a team-high nine rebounds. Buller chipped in 15 and five boards, while junior
Paul Kopanski scored 12 points, 10 of which came in the first half. Freshman
Matt Crawford scored nine, as the Goshen bench outscored the Pilots’ reserves
by a 23 to six margin.
“We’ve talked a lot about stepping up and not backing away from the
game, and tonight we had several guys do just that,” Daugherty said. “Jordan
Buller, Eric Walsh and Matt Crawford made some big individual plays late, and
Jeremy High scores just five points, but they came at crucial junctures. The
biggest thing was the consistency and resolve from our whole team, though. Everyone
that stepped on the floor did something to help us win, and that says a lot about
us as a group.”
Goshen will honor and depart with its five senior members in the last home
game of the season this Saturday, as the Leafs will host 17th-ranked University
of St. Francis in the Roman Gingerich Center. Senior ceremonies will begin
immediately before tip off, slated for 3 p.m.
FEB.
14 — 11th-Ranked Marian A Step Quicker Than Goshen
Leafs
give good effort; struggle from field in 64-50 loss
| Sophomore
Eric Walsh |
Indianapolis,
IN — A solid physical effort wasn’t enough for
Goshen to yield a win over 11th-ranked Marian College Saturday
in Indianapolis, as the Knights kept a steady distance from
the Leafs in a 64-50 win to stay atop the Mid-Central Conference.
Marian never trailed in the contest, despite several Goshen
pushes that were just not complete enough to make a difference.
“We had a good, hard physical effort, but we didn’t shoot the ball
well and that hurt our chances,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “Marian
did a very good job defensively, and when we did get open looks we didn’t
knock them down. I’m proud of how we matched their physical play, but all
of us know we have to execute better than what we did to have much of a chance
in this league.”
Goshen (20-10, 3-9) connected on just 16 of 49 attempts for the game (32.7
percent) including a seven for 25 effort (28 percent) in the second half. The
Leafs were just four of 17 from three-point land (23.5 percent) and didn’t
help themselves when totally unguarded either: Daugherty’s team knocked
in just 14 of 24 free throw attempts (58.3 percent) on the afternoon.
Despite the offensive difficulties, the Leafs stayed close thanks to a defensive
effort that held the host team to a 24 of 54 effort from the floor (44 percent)
and a three for 14 performance from the three-point arc (21.4 percent). After
trailing 37-27 at the half, Goshen looked primed to make a serious push to
start the second. The Leafs scored the first four points of the second period,
and the Knight lead was just 39-32 with 15:42 remaining when back-to-back bizarre
plays deterred any Goshen run: Daugherty’s team was able to jar the ball
loose from Marian on consecutive trips, only to have the loose ball ricochet
to a Marian player alone under the basket for an uncontested layup.
“There were a bunch of strange plays where I thought we had made a pretty
good defensive play, only to have the ball wind up in Marian’s hands for
an easy look,” Daugherty said. “I thought that, while we were able
to make an initial play, we were a step slow for most of the day in reacting
to loose balls or possible turnovers that we helped to create. On the other hand,
Marian was very active and seemed to pick up every free chance.”
Sophomore Eric Walsh was the only Leaf player to score in double figures on
the day, dropping in 19 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. Senior Mark Wilson
was next in line, scoring six points on a two for six shooting performance.
Wilson also grabbed four rebounds.
The Leafs will look to get back to their winning ways when the team travels
to rival Bethel College Tuesday night when they visit the jam-packed Wiekamp
Center in Bethel’s final home game of the season. Game time is set for
7 p.m.
FEB.
10 — Leafs Grab School-Record 20th Win Against IWU
Goshen
takes out Wildcats 66-48 to place its stamp on program history
|
 Sweet
stroke: Senior
Jeremy High gets an open look at a three-pointer
in the second half of Tuesday night’s game
with Indiana Wesleyan.
|
Goshen,
IN — After Goshen head coach Stan Daugherty took the
men’s basketball coaching position in the summer of
2001, he was often heard saying that his favorite number
was 20. In the program’s 49-year history, a Goshen
team had never eclipsed the 20-win mark in a single season.
That was, until this Tuesday.
Goshen used a dominant defensive performance to shut down Mid-Central Conference
foe Indiana Wesleyan at the Roman Gingerich Center, taking a 66-48 decision
and propelling the squad to a 20-9 overall record, giving Daugherty the enjoyment
of putting his team in the record books in just his third season at the helm.
“I guess my new favorite number is 21 now,” Daugherty said following
Tuesday’s contest. “This is a great accomplishment for our players,
especially our seniors. In no way are we content, though. We’d like to
keep this going.”
Goshen (20-9, 3-8) has now recorded a pair of consecutive wins, with the Wesleyan
victory coming on the heels of a 70-61 win over 20th-ranked Taylor University
on Saturday. The wins broke an eight-game losing skid for Goshen, and have
started yet another winning streak — the Leafs recorded a school record
16 wins in a row earlier in the season.
“I like our mental toughness and tenacity right now,” Daugherty said. “We
had a great defensive effort tonight, especially in the first half. We had a
group of players do a great job on their best player, and we played a lot of
people a lot of minutes. Everyone responded well and gave us some good energy.”
Goshen’s platoon of seniors Josh Turnpaugh, Darin Nunemaker and Mark
Wilson along with freshman David Haire helped to hold MCC scoring-leader Aaron
Brothers to just half of his average (10 points on two of 10 shooting) while
10 Leaf players played 13 minutes or more.
Daugherty’s team held Wesleyan to a miserable 35.4 percent shooting effort
from the floor (17 of 48) including a seven for 21 clip in the first half (33
percent) and a zero for 14 pace from three-point land for the game. The Leafs
also outrebounded Wesleyan by a 37 to 28 margin, knocking in 42.9 percent of
their shots (21 of 49) including a warm 12 for 24 clip (50 percent) in the
second period.
Goshen led by a 33-19 count at halftime, and pushed its lead to 21 points with
11:13 remaining in the half. The Wildcats’ only serious run of the game
occurred with two minutes to play, when the visitors cut the Goshen lead to
58-47. The Leafs responded, however, scoring a pair of easy layups and knocking
in four free throw attempts to ice the game late.
“We had a great effort on the boards, and again it was an effort by committee,” Daugherty
said. “Offensively we shared the ball well, and got pretty good looks at
the basket because of it. We were a bit shaky late when Wesleyan made their run,
but hopefully that situation will help us later in the season and possibly the
conference tournament.”
Sophomore Eric Walsh was the only Goshen player to score in double figures,
dropping 17 points while collecting six rebounds. Turnpaugh, classmate Jeremy
High and sophomore Tyler Sheerer all scored eight points, while freshman Willie
Frazier grabbed six boards — all defensive — in 13 minutes of work.
All but one Leaf player that entered the game scored.
Goshen will next have a serious test, when the team travels to Indianapolis
to face the 11th-ranked Marian College Knights Saturday afternoon. Game time
is set for 3 p.m.
FEB.
7 — Goshen Gets Back To Winning Against #20 Taylor
Leafs
outscore Trojans by 13 in second half to take 70-61 decision
|
 Tight
move: Sophomore
Tyler Sheerer comes off a ball screen in the first
half against Taylor Saturday.
|
 Drawing
defenders: Senior
Jeremy High attacks the basket early in the game against
Taylor. |
Goshen,
IN — Using a pressuring defense that helped lead to
a 34 to 19 rebounding advantage, the Goshen men’s basketball
team upended 20th-ranked Taylor University 70-61 Saturday,
ending an eight-game losing skid and tying the program’s
single-season win mark in the process. With the win, the
Leafs (19-9, 2-8) stand just a game away from the first 20-win
season in school history.
“Needless to say, this was a big win for us,” said Stan Daugherty,
Goshen head coach. “We had a variety of players step in and make big contributions
on both ends of the floor. We were able to defend a little better than in some
previous games, and that really gave us a chance at the end.”
Goshen trailed by a 32-28 score at halftime, but picked up the intensity in
the second period. Taylor converted on just 10 of 25 shots in the game’s
final 20 minutes (40 percent) after hitting 14 of 26 in the first half (53.8
percent). Meanwhile, Goshen heated up to 52.6 percent from the floor in the
second half (10 for 19) and drilled seven of 14 three-point attempts (50 percent).
The Leafs also grabbed 15 more rebounds than Taylor, scoring 11 second-chance
points off of 11 offensive boards. The Trojans scored six points off of five
offensive rebounds.
“We did a nice job of extending their offense by getting out and pressuring
them some on the perimeter,” Daugherty said. “The most telling stat
came in the rebound category. Anytime you can outrebound a team as good as Taylor,
you’ve got to be pleased.”
After taking a quick 4-0 lead to start the game, Goshen exchanged punches with
Taylor throughout the first half, trailing by four points at the intermission
after four ties and five lead changes. The second half started with Taylor
building a seven-point advantage just two minutes in, but Goshen would rally:
A 10 to one Leaf run over the game’s next five minutes gave Goshen a
41-39 advantage, a lead the team would never give back up. Taylor cut the Goshen
lead to three points on four occasions in the game’s final 11 minutes,
but could get no closer. The Leafs knocked in nine of 12 free throws in the
contest’s final two minutes, sealing the game.
“We settled down in the second half and played and moved with more purpose
offensively,” Daugherty said. “We made better reads for the most
part, and knocked in some big shots when we needed to. I was most impressed though,
with how we defended down the stretch. We got some really big stops and finished
them with defensive rebounds in order to extend the lead in the last five minutes.”
Sophomore Eric Walsh netted 18 points in the win, going 12 for 14 from the
free throw line. Eleven Leaf players scored in the game, with senior Mark Wilson
scoring nine points on a perfect three for three effort from three-point land.
Classmate Darin Nunemaker chipped in eight points, as did sophomore Jordan
Buller. Senior Josh Turnpaugh scored seven — all in the second half — and
finished with a game-high seven rebounds as well.
“Mark Wilson gave us a big lift off the bench with his shooting, and I
was proud of the way we battled defensively in the post all afternoon,” Daugherty
said. “We defended their inside game with a variety of guys, and they all
worked hard. Taylor was able to score some inside, but we made them work for
their points.”
Goshen will be in action in the Roman Gingerich Center again Tuesday night,
when the team will host Indiana Wesleyan University. Game time is set for 7
p.m.
FEB.
4 — Ryan Makes Early Commitment To Goshen
6-4 swing player to bring competitiveness, tireless
work ethic to program
 Sam
Ryan |
Huntington,
IN — With the 2003-2004 season still in full-swing,
the Goshen College men’s basketball team got an early
start to its 2004-2005 recruiting period, signing Huntington
North senior Sam Ryan to a letter of intent Wednesday. Ryan,
a 6-4 multi-position player, brings a variety of skills both
on and off the court to Goshen next season, as head coach
Stan Daugherty said he was pleased to have his first prep
signee on board this early on.
“I am very excited to have Sam commit to our basketball program,” Daugherty
said. “He is a tireless worker who will continue to improve as he heads
into college. He is a tremendous Christian leader who will bring maturity and
class to our program. Sam will be a great fit on the Goshen College basketball
team.”
Ryan has averaged seven points per game, five rebounds per game and two assists
per game thus far this season, leading his team to a 12-3 record in the process.
A two-year starter for Huntington North, Ryan has connected on 50 percent of
his field goal attempts and boasts an impressive 91.3 percent clip from the
free throw line. He was the team’s best three-point shooter during his
sophomore season and serves as Huntington North’s team captain this year.
|
 New
Maple Leaf: Huntington
North senior Sam Ryan signs his letter of intent
to attend and play basketball for Goshen College
beginning next year. With Ryan at the signing are
parents Jim and Jenny Ryan (seated), Huntington North
head coach Eric Foister and Goshen head coach Stan
Daugherty.
|
“No
player I’ve ever coached has worked harder both during
the season and outside of the season to make himself a college
basketball player than Sam has,” said Eric Foister,
Huntington North head coach. “Ryan’s biggest
strength is his character, he’s the consummate team
player. This year his numbers aren’t astounding, but
he’s led us to a 12-3 record. If he were concerned
with only his stats, he could be scoring a lot more, but
he wants to win and will do whatever is asked of him for
the team’s success.”
Daugherty said he believes Ryan can contribute immediately on the defensive
end of the floor, while his 8.9 grade-point-average (on an 11-point scale)
makes him a sure-thing in the classroom.
“Sam continues the trend for us of having exceptional student-athletes
that excel both in the classroom and on the court,” Daugherty said. “From
a basketball perspective, I am especially impressed with Sam’s toughness
and versatility. He can play all over the floor on offense and he can guard players
at several different positions. Sam will play a variety of positions for us on
offense and I think he will become one of our top defenders.”
Ryan — whose older brother, Ben, is a redshirt junior player on the Grace
College basketball team — said the decision to come to Goshen was a relatively
easy one after making several college visits. He plans to study education once
at Goshen, with a desire to teach at the middle school level.
“Goshen was the right situation for me,” Ryan said. “I wasn’t
necessarily trying to (sign early), but I just knew that Goshen was the place
for me. Coach Daugherty and the players made me feel very welcome in my visits
to campus, unlike some of the other colleges I visited. The teachers were also
very nice, and I just had really good experiences there.
“In terms of basketball, everyone gets the ball when they need it,” he
continued. “The players are very unselfish and look to get the best shot
possible. I want to be a part of a team that has that mentality.”
Ryan said he now plans to enjoy the remainder of his senior season, and looks
to help his team continue to compete at a high level, with a sectional championship
and a conference championship — the team already has clinched at least
a share of the latter — on his priority list.
“I want to treat the rest of this year like I did the first part,” Ryan
said. “Continue to work hard and help the team win in any way I can.”
Additional Goshen recruit signings, along with all Goshen College men’s
basketball news events will be posted on this website both during and following
the current season. To contact Coach Daugherty, call him at (574) 535-7493
or send him an email by clicking here.
FEB.
3 — #18 Huntington Outdoes Leafs In Game Of Runs
Walsh
scores 1,000th career point in 59-77 loss to Foresters
|
 Splitting
the gap: Freshman
David Haire pushes the ball upcourt in second half
play at Huntington.
|
Huntington,
IN — Whoever coined the phrase “basketball is
a game of runs” most certainly must have seen a game
similar to that played in Huntington Tuesday night, where
Mid-Central Conference foes Huntington College and Goshen
College traded large scoring runs and droughts throughout
the evening. In the end, it was the 18th-ranked Foresters
that made the biggest pushes, taking a 77-59 decision but
not before being tested by the Leafs.
“It was an odd game in that we had periods that we were very, very effective,
and we had droughts where we weren’t very good,” said Stan Daugherty,
Goshen head coach. “I was pleased with our overall effort physically, and
more pleased with our ability to hang in there and make a run when things weren’t
going well.”
Huntington began the game in modest fashion, slowly building a 15-point lead
midway through the first half. Goshen (18-9, 1-8) was unable to make much of
a move on the host team until the final 1:28 of the half, when senior Jeremy
High buried two three-pointers to cut the lead to 39-32, Huntington, at the
intermission.
The Foresters wasted no time in blowing the lead back up again, starting the
second half with a 19 to two run that pushed the lead to 58-34 with 12:26 remaining.
In that stretch, the Leafs committed six turnovers and missed five shots while
Huntington knocked in six field goals while not committing a giveaway.
“We had a terrible start to the second half after really making a good
run at the end of the first,” Daugherty said. “We made some poor
decisions, were careless with the ball and Huntington took it to us.”
Amazingly, Goshen did not panic. Instead, the Leafs ran off a 17 to two run
of their own, cutting the lead to just nine points at the 6:28 mark. Five different
players scored during that stretch, and Goshen looked to have a legitimate
shot at making the game close down the wire.
However, as was the case for the entire night, it was another run — this
one by Huntington — that sealed the game. The Foresters scored 17 points
to Goshen’s eight over the event’s final six minutes, and the Leafs
could get no closer.
Goshen converted on just 34 percent of its field goal attempts (17 of 50),
and held Huntington to a 28 of 67 (41.8 percent) effort from the floor. Both
squads took 25 three-pointers, with Huntington making nine and Goshen seven.
The most telling stat came in the rebounding category, where Huntington out-boarded
the Leafs 45 to 31, with a 22 to 11 advantage on the offensive end.
“We showed tremendous effort and poise in cutting the lead from 24 to nine
in the second half,” Daugherty said. “It was good to see our players
react in that way after a really poor start to the second half on the road. Huntington
was quicker to the ball than we were for most of the night, especially on the
offensive rebounding side.”
Sophomore Eric Walsh provided game-high scoring honors for Goshen with 22 points.
Having 985 career points entering the contest, Walsh became the 18th player
in Goshen history to eclipse the 1,000-point plateau. Fellow 1,000-point scorer
High chipped in 15 points and five boards in the loss, while senior Darin Nunemaker
and junior Paul Kopanski each scored six points.
“It’s a great achievement for Eric (to score his 1,000th point),
but it’s much more important to him that we win,” Daugherty said. “He
again showed his competitive spirit tonight, spraining his ankle in the first
play of the game and still scoring 22 points in 28 minutes.”
Goshen will face off against another nationally-ranked team — Taylor
University — this Saturday. The Leafs will host the 20th-ranked Trojans
Saturday. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
JAN.
31 — Shooting Difficulties Keep Goshen From Win
Grace
knocks off Leafs 70-62 in Roman Gingerich Center
|
 Strong
finish: Sophomore
Eric Walsh powers in two of his team-high 26 points
in the second half of Saturday’s game against
Grace.
|
 Surrounded: Grace
defenders collapse on senior Jeremy High after securing
an offensive rebound in second half play. |
Goshen,
IN — Even with a 21 for 57 shooting performance from
the field (36.8 percent) that included just four of 24 three-point
shots falling (16.7 percent), the Goshen men’s basketball
team somehow still had a chance to win Saturday’s game
against Mid-Central Conference foe Grace College. In the
end, though, the Leafs’ offensive difficulties proved
too great, as the visiting Lancers grabbed their first MCC
win of the year in a 70-62 defeat of Goshen.
“Although we shot the ball poorly for the day, especially from the three-point
line, we still were in a position to win the game,” said Stan Daugherty,
Goshen head coach. “Our biggest concern at this point is our lack of confidence
shooting the ball. We had some good looks again most of the day, but didn’t
consistently shoot well. We have to continue to fight through this shooting slump
while continuing to play hard and with some passion.”
Goshen (18-8, 1-7) was able to hold Grace to just a 42.6 percent shooting effort
for the game, but had a difficult time corralling the Lancers’ three-point
shooting (nine for 18, 50 percent) and free throw accuracy (15 for 18, 83.3
percent). Meanwhile, Goshen did little to help its cause from the charity stripe,
knocking in just 16 of 24 freebies (66.7 percent).
After the game’s first 15 minutes that boasted five ties and nine lead
changes, it was Grace that finished the first stanza in strong fashion. After
sophomore Eric Walsh converted a layup to tie the game at 22 with 5:14 remaining,
Grace put on an 11 to one run over the next two minutes to make it a 10-point
Lancer advantage. Goshen was able to close the gap to five points with just
over a minute remaining, but a made Grace three-pointer made the score 36-28,
Grace, at the half.
Daugherty’s squad again responded in the second half, tying the game
at 44 at the 9:22 mark and staying within a point through the 6:44 mark. However,
it was Grace again that was more efficient, going on an 11 to four run over
the next two minutes to make it a 60-52 advantage. Goshen was unable to close
the deficit below six points for the remainder of the game, as the Lancers
knocked in six of their final eight free throw attempts to ice the contest.
“I thought that the game came down to two five-minute stretches that we
didn’t play well,” Daugherty said. “The score was tied with
five minutes to go in the first half and we wind up going down eight at halftime.
That stretch probably cost us the game. In the second half, we fought hard to
come back and tie it, but again we didn’t finish strong. Grace stepped
up and hit some big shots late, and we couldn’t come up with an answer.”
Goshen outrebounded the Lancers by a 35 to 34 margin and committed one less
turnover for the game. The Leafs were led by sophomore Eric Walsh 26 points
and 14 rebounds. Senior Jeremy High scored nine points and grabbed three boards,
also handing out a team-high three assists. No other Goshen player scored over
six points on the afternoon.
Goshen will travel to #13 Huntington College Tuesday night. Game time is set
for 7 p.m.
JAN.
27 — Squad Can't Carry Over Strong First Half At USF
Goshen
overcomes adversity early on, struggles in second half in 72-90
loss
 Sophomore
Tyler Sheerer |
Fort Wayne,
IN — Tuesday night in Fort Wayne, the circumstances
surrounding the Goshen College men’s basketball team
were not particularly conducive to playing good basketball.
Horrid road conditions due to heavy snow made the short trip
to the University of St. Francis campus twice as long as
normal, and Goshen head coach Stan Daugherty was without
three of his assistant coaches for the contest — one
absent due to illness, the other two unavailable due to travel
circumstances.
Despite these factors, the Leafs were able to put together a solid first half
against a Cougar team that has been playing very well as of late, trailing
St. Francis by only a 37-39 score at the intermission. The second period was
a different story, however, as St. Francis opened the half with a nine to two
run to push the lead to 48-39, and Goshen would never get closer than seven
points the remainder of the way.
“This was a game of two very different halves for us,” Daugherty
said. “I was pleased with our focus and effort in the first half. Although
we started slowly, we continued to work hard and persist, especially on offense.
We defended well at times and seemed to have some decent energy for being on
the road. The second half, particularly early, was frustrating because we had
good shots and didn't shoot well. On the other hand, St. Francis continued to
shoot the ball well.”
The host Cougars heated up to a 60 percent clip from the field in the second
half (18 for 30) while Goshen (18-7, 1-6) was a very respectable 13 for 26
(50 percent). The main problem came in the form of St. Francis’ torrid
shooting from deep — the Cougars knocked in 12 of 22 (54.5 percent) three-pointers
on the night while Goshen connected on nine of 19 (47.4 percent). The Leafs
cut the St. Francis lead to eight points with 4:51 to play and nine points
with 3:26 to play, but could not get stops to make the gap any smaller.
“If we double-teamed the post, they hit shots from outside,” Daugherty
said. “If we played straight up, their post players made some shots in
the paint. Despite this, we were still only down eight to 10 points to finish
the last ten minutes. The last several minutes of the game we did not have any
energy defensively to stop St. Francis. They did a nice of job of moving the
ball and hitting open shots.”
Sophomore Eric Walsh led Goshen in scoring with 22 points while grabbing five
rebounds. Classmate Tyler Sheerer scored 16 on a six for nine shooting effort,
while freshman Matt Crawford scored 13 on a five for six effort. Freshman Willie
Frazier scored two points and grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.
“I was pleased with the play of Tyler Sheerer, Matt Crawford and Willie
Frazier off of the bench,” Daugherty said. “They all played focused
and with good energy. Our bench outscored St. Francis' bench 20-11 in the first
half and gave us a big lift.”
Goshen will begin the second round of Mid-Central Conference play this Saturday,
when the team will host Grace College. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
JAN.
24 — Bethel Escapes Raucous Goshen With 90-85 Win
Leafs
come up just short in another game for the ages with neighboring
rival
|
 Control: Sophomore
Tyler Sheerer puts a spin move on Bethel’s Adrick
Hills in the second half of Saturday’s game.
|
Goshen,
IN — Cost of admission at the gate of Goshen’s
Roman Gingerich Center is only four dollars for adults, two
dollars for senior citizens and two dollars for college students.
For fans lucky enough to get a seat at Saturday’s Goshen-Bethel
College men’s basketball game, however, the experience
was priceless.
In front of a raucous, sold-out crowd on a snowy Saturday afternoon, the neighboring
schools dueled in an intense, wire-to-wire contest that saw Bethel make just
enough plays to slip out of the Gingerich Center with a 90-85 win.
“I thought this game was well played and hard played by both teams,” said
Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “The game came down to just a play or
two in the second half and Bethel was a little better than us with offensive
execution. You couldn’t ask for a better environment to play in, and I
think both teams stepped up and played some very good basketball.”
Playing in front of a sold-out crowd for the second time in just its third
home Mid-Central Conference game of the season, Goshen (18-6, 1-5) didn’t
disappoint early on, commanding a 9-2 lead over the Pilots just three minutes
into the contest. The Leafs retained the lead through the majority of the first
period, until Bethel took a 40-38 lead with just 4:51 to play in the half.
After five lead changes and three ties in the period’s final minutes,
it was Bethel that held a slight edge at halftime, 48-46.
Goshen would respond in the second period, taking a 54-53 lead with 17:44 to
play. From that point on, it was a game of big plays on each end. Bethel would
push its lead to eight points with 3:32 to play, but the Leafs weren’t
finished. A Josh Turnpaugh (senior) three-pointer and a driving layup by Jordan
Buller (sophomore) helped the Leafs pull to an 85-87 deficit with just 30 seconds
to play.
Forced to foul, the Leafs got some help from Bethel as the Pilots couldn’t
convert on a pair of free throws to extend the lead. After gaining possession
on a jump ball following the second missed free throw, Goshen had 19 seconds
to work with to either tie or take the lead. Unfortunately, the Leafs could
not get off a shot on the ensuing possession, turning the ball over with 10
seconds to play. Bethel knocked in three of four free throws during that span,
and the game was over.
Goshen’s final turnover, though untimely, was only the team’s eighth
of the afternoon. The Pilots turned the ball over 14 times, but held a big
advantage in both rebounds (41 to 31) and free throws (Bethel: 26 of 35, 74.3
percent; Goshen: 18 of 26, 69.2 percent). Bethel was also more efficient from
the field, as the Pilots converted on 29 of 56 shots (51.8 percent) compared
to Goshen’s 30 of 65 effort (46.2 percent). The Leafs could only muster
a two of 13 effort from three-point land in the second half, after knocking
in five of 10 attempts in the game’s first 20 minutes.
“We played better offensively than we have the last few games, but our
inability to shoot well from the three-point line in the second half hurt us
in the last fifteen minutes of the game. We also missed some free throws that
would have put us in a better position at the end of the game. Defensively, we
played hard, but Bethel’s inside game hurt us at times. I was proud of
our effort and our run down the stretch to get it to a two-point ball game in
the final minute. I was also pleased with our effort for loose balls on the floor
and loose balls off of defensive tips. Overall, it was one of our best efforts
in the conference and I hope we continue to build on this game.”
Goshen placed five players in double-figure scoring, led by sophomore Eric
Walsh’s 19 points and six rebounds. Buller and freshman Matt Crawford
each had 13, with Buller dishing out eight assists while committing no turnovers.
Turnpaugh and freshman Willie Frazier each scored 11 points in the loss.
Goshen looks to close out the first round of MCC play in the same manner as
the team opened it, with a win. The Leafs will travel to St. Francis Tuesday
night for a 7 p.m. tip off. With inclement weather pending, check back to this
website for the latest on game cancellation or postponement.
JAN.
20 — Struggles Continue For Leafs Against #12 Marian
Goshen
shoots just under 28 percent from floor in 54-66 loss
|
 Making
a run: Sophomore
Jordan Buller scores a breakaway layup in the second
half against Marian Tuesday night.
|
 Jump-hook: Junior
Troy Springer scores two points on a nifty move in the
post during second half play against Marian. |
Goshen,
IN — With an unrelenting schedule giving the Goshen
College men’s basketball team no time to play anything
but its best basketball, the Leafs dropped their fourth straight
Mid-Central Conference game to 12th-ranked Marian 54-66 Tuesday
night in the Roman Gingerich Center. Three of Goshen’s
last four losses have come against teams ranked in the country’s
top 15 — the other was a heartbreaking 77-79 decision
to Indiana Wesleyan University on Saturday.
“There’s no question that this league is the toughest in the country
at the NAIA level, but we’ve got to execute better and play smarter than
we have,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “We were very fortunate
to be in a position to win this game, although we wouldn’t have deserved
it had we won.”
Goshen (18-5, 1-4) connected on just 16 of 58 field goal attempts (27.6 percent)
on the evening, making a miserable five of 27 from three-point land (18.5 percent).
The Leafs’ saving figure came at the foul line, where a 17 of 22 performance
(77.3 percent) allowed Daugherty’s squad to make it close at the end.
After opening by missing its first seven shots and trailing by an 8-17 score
just six minutes into the game, Goshen watched the Knights’ lead grow
to a 33-17 advantage with six minutes to play in the first period. A seven
to nothing Leaf run pulled the team within nine points with a minute remaining,
but Marian converted on a three-point field goal to take a 38-26 lead into
the break.
The Knights pushed their lead to 17 points five minutes into the second half,
but this time Goshen responded with poise. The Leafs patiently cut into the
lead over the game’s next 13 minutes, trailing 52-58 with 3:28 remaining.
Goshen came within six points a minute and a half later, but could not convert
on ensuing possessions to get any closer.
“I thought the first several minutes of the game we played very tentative,” Daugherty
said. “We were not active on defense and our offense was not moving well
without the ball. In the second half I was much more pleased with our effort
and intensity, particularly on defense. It is hard to spot a good team like Marian
a 12-point lead at half, though. When we cut the lead to six late in the game,
we had to make every play on defense and offense to win the game. At that point,
it was too much to ask.”
Marian converted on 27 of its 57 shots for the night (47.4 percent) but was
held to just a 36.7 percent effort from the floor (11 of 30) in the second
half. Meanwhile, Goshen could only improve to a 32.3 percent clip in the second
period (10 for 31) while connecting on just a single three-pointer (1 for 11,
9.1 percent) in the half.
“I thought we struggled on offense all night long,” Daugherty said. “When
we did move the ball and get good looks, we shot the ball with hesitation. We
did not ball fake against their defense as well as we have in the past. We just
never got in sync offensively. I was pleased that we continued to play hard all
night long, but we have to improve offensively to be competitive in this league.”
Sophomore Eric Walsh paced the Leafs with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Senior
Josh Turnpaugh knocked in 11 points, while classmate Jeremy High scored eight
to go with nine rebounds.
Goshen will return to the Roman Gingerich Center Saturday, when the team will
host rival Bethel College, a team that has been ranked as high as 11th in the
nation this season. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
JAN.
17 — Goshen Can't Hang On To Lead At IWU
Brothers
hits game-winner with 0.8 seconds on clock, Leafs fall 77-79
|
 Strong
around the basket: Freshman
Willie Frazier sticks in two of his 13 points in
the second half against Indiana Wesleyan Saturday.
|
 Gliding: Sophomore
Eric Walsh floats through the lane against Indiana Wesleyan.
Walsh finished with a team-high 17 points. |
Marion,
IN — An improved effort couldn’t lend the Goshen
College men’s basketball team a Mid-Central Conference
win on the road Saturday, as the Leafs dropped their third
straight league contest in a tough-to-swallow 79-77 defeat
to host Indiana Wesleyan University. Despite leading by eight
points with five minutes to play, Goshen could not stop the
Wildcats from a 12 to two run over the game’s next
three minutes, setting up a cardiac finish in Luckey Gymnasium
on an icy afternoon.
After possessing a 72-64 lead with 5:11 on the clock, Goshen missed its next
four attempts from the floor and committed a pair of turnovers in the game’s
final minute and a half. Wesleyan took full advantage of the Leafs’ futility,
knocking in its next four shots to take a 76-74 lead with 1:02 to play. After
a Jeremy High (senior) turnover with 42 seconds remaining, Wesleyan’s
Joel Tonagel was fouled. He made the first, but after a Goshen timeout, missed
the second, making the score 77-74, Wesleyan. Sophomore Jordan Buller raced
the ball down the floor and hit a driving layup plus a foul to pull Goshen
within a point with just 30 seconds remaining. After making his free throw
to tie the game, Wesleyan ran the clock down to nine seconds before calling
a timeout. The Wildcats final play was a tough one — Wesleyan senior
Aaron Brothers buried a falling-down four footer with 0.8 seconds remaining,
and the Leafs’ last-ditch attempt from half court fell harmlessly short.
“Overall, it was a pretty good small college basketball game to witness,” said
Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “Wesleyan just made more plays down
the stretch than we did. We played well enough to win a lot of games today, just
not well enough to win a road game in the MCC.”
Goshen (18-4, 1-3) had to persevere to even get in a position to win, as Wesleyan
began the game by draining its first nine shots en route to a 19 to seven lead
with 14:47 to play in the first half. Despite the Wildcats’ shooting
a blistering 71.4 percent from the floor in the first period, Daugherty’s
squad found itself down by just a 42-38 margin at halftime. In the second half,
Goshen pulled as far as eight points ahead of Wesleyan on two different occasions,
but each time the Wildcats were able to make a run to close the gap. The Leafs’ stayed
close largely due to their work on the glass — Goshen finished with 16
offensive rebounds compared to Wesleyan’s six.
“After our slow start we settled in a played pretty hard,” Daugherty
said. “I was pleased with the lift our bench gave us, and we had our opportunities
to close it out on several occasions. Our turnovers in the game’s final
five minutes hurt us, and we know that’s not good enough to win in this
league. We’ll definitely learn a lot from this game, and hope to carry
it over to the rest of our conference season.”
Goshen was led by sophomore Eric Walsh’s 17 points and five rebounds.
Freshman Willie Frazier scored 13 and grabbed a game-high six boards, with
four coming on the offensive end. High and junior Paul Kopanski each scored
13 as well in the loss.
Goshen converted just 28 of 60 shots on the afternoon (46.7 percent) while
Wesleyan hit on 32 of 52 attempts (61.5 percent). The Leafs also were below
their norm from deep — Goshen connected on just seven of 19 tries from
three-point land (36.8 percent).
Goshen will have to put its knowledge from the tough loss to use quickly, as
Marian College, the nation’s sixth-ranked team, visits the Roman Gingerich
Center Tuesday night. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
JAN.
13 — #8 Taylor Hands It To Leafs
Goshen
can't get clicking on road; falls 70-39
| Senior
Jeremy High |
Upland,
IN — In easily its worst defeat of the season, the
Goshen College men’s basketball team dropped a 70-39
decision to host Taylor University Tuesday night, doing few
things well while the Trojans found their groove. Taylor
converted on 52.8 percent of its shots for the game, while
Goshen connected on a season-low 23.5 percent of its tries,
knocking in just 12 field goals for the game en route to
scoring a total 50 points below its season average.
“It was a night where Taylor played very well, and we did not play well
at all,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “We came out flat
and Taylor took full advantage, knocking down shot after shot. On the other end,
we tried to execute good offense, but didn’t shoot the ball well. It’s
as simple as that regarding the margin of defeat.”
Goshen (18-3, 1-2) fell behind quickly, as the Trojans built a 26-5 lead over
the game’s first 10 minutes. Taylor took a 45-20 lead into halftime,
as the Leafs connected on just six of 27 first half field goal attempts (22.2
percent). Goshen showed its only sign of life in the first five minutes of
the second period, where a 13 to four run closed the gap to a 49-33 score.
Daugherty’s squad would only score six points for the remainder of the
game, however, as a 21 to six Taylor run closed the night out on the Leafs.
Goshen was only three for 17 (17.6 percent) from behind the arc, while even
free shots were hard to come by — the Leafs connected on only 12 of 23
(52.2 percent) from the free throw line.
“It’s games like this that you try to learn from your mistakes and
move on,” Daugherty said. “The Mid-Central Conference is one that,
if you come out and don’t defend well, and then you don’t shoot well.
. .it’s going to be a long night.”
Senior Jeremy High scored a team-high nine points for Goshen, as no Leaf player
reached double-figures in scoring. High also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.
Sophomore Jordan Buller scored eight points in the loss, while junior Paul
Kopanski added seven.
The team was without leading scorer and rebounder Eric Walsh (sophomore), as
a high ankle sprain kept him from competing. Walsh’s status is uncertain
for Goshen’s next contest, when the team will travel to Indiana Wesleyan
on Saturday. Game time is slated for 3 p.m.
JAN.
10 — #13 Huntington Snaps Goshen's Roll
Foresters
conclude Goshen's 16-game winning streak with 82-73 defeat
|
 Easy
one: Senior
Jeremy High gets a point-blank look at the basket
in the first half Saturday against Huntington.
|
 Going
hard: Sophomore
Eric Walsh takes two Huntington defenders with him
to the basket during second half play Saturday. |
Goshen,
IN — Apparently, the Goshen College men’s basketball
team is superstitious. Prior to Saturday’s 82-73 loss
to nationally-ranked 13th Huntington College, the Leafs’ only
other defeat of the season came to Cornerstone University
on Nov. 7 — a team ranked 13th in the nation at that
time. On Saturday, the currently-ranked 13th Foresters ended
Goshen’s 16-game winning streak and handed the Leafs
their first home and Mid-Central Conference loss of the season,
all in front of a standing room-only, over-capacity crowd
at the Roman Gingerich Center.
“It was an incredible atmosphere, and it was a great environment for a
college basketball game,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “Our
effort was good, but the bottom line was that they were better in one-on-one
situations in the last 10 minutes of the game.”
Goshen (18-2, 1-1) fed off the crowd’s energy and took early control
of the game, leading by a 12-5 count four minutes into the event. Huntington
would come back and make it close for the remainder of the period, as six ties
and six lead changes resulted in a 40-38 Forester advantage at the intermission.
Again the Leafs opened with solid execution, as sophomore Jordan Buller canned
a three-pointer to start the second half and place his team up 41-40. It was
the last lead that Daugherty’s team would enjoy, however, as Huntington
matched Buller’s effort with a three-pointer on its next possession and
would never surrender the lead again. Goshen would get as close as three points
on four different occasions and four points on just as many, but Huntington
knocked down huge shots when it needed to, keeping the Leafs from the upset.
“We battled extremely hard and our intensity was good, we just weren’t
as good offensively as we needed to be,” Daugherty said. “We were
hurried early on in the game, and in the second half we slowed down and had much
more purposeful movement. We just didn’t shoot the ball well as well as
we needed to, and Huntington hit some big shots to keep the lead.”
The Foresters were able to connect on half their attempts for the game (29
of 58 from the field), including four of their last six shots down the stretch.
Meanwhile, Goshen struggled in the second half, knocking in only nine of 25
attempts (36 percent) while Huntington heated up (15 of 28, 53.6 percent).
Sophomore Eric Walsh, Goshen’s leading scorer and rebounder, went down
with a high ankle sprain just six minutes into the second period, further hurting
the Leafs’ chances. And while Walsh did return to play a total of 27
minutes — 14 points, game-high 10 rebounds — he was not 100 percent.
“I think Eric’s injury hurt us psychologically for a few minutes,
as we kind of had a letdown following it,” Daugherty said. “Luckily,
we had some other players step up and get us going again.”
Senior Jeremy High scored a team-high 17 points, while Buller knocked in 11
on a five for eight shooting performance. Junior Paul Kopanski scored nine
for the Leafs, as did freshman Matt Crawford.
Leaf fans can only hope the number two won’t be as daunting as 13 has
been for the club — Goshen next heads to second-ranked Taylor University
Tuesday night. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
JAN.
6 — Leafs Beat Grace To Open Conference Play
Goshen
responds to each Lancer run down stretch; pulls out 89-77 road
win
Sophomore
Eric Walsh
Senior
Jeremy High |
Winona
Lake, IN — For the first time in head coach Stan Daugherty’s
three-year tenure at Goshen, the Leafs opened Mid-Central
Conference play with a win, defeating Grace College by an
89-77 score Tuesday night in Winona Lake. The victory gave
Goshen its 16th consecutive win as well as moving the team
just two victories away from a 20-win season, a feat never
before accomplished in program history.
“It was a solid performance to open the conference season on the road,
although it certainly wasn’t the best basketball we have played,” Daugherty
said. “We hung in there, though, and were able to make decent plays down
the stretch.”
Goshen (18-1, 1-0) used the first 10 minutes of the game to slowly build a
nine-point lead, taking a 24-15 advantage after a Paul Kopanski (junior) three-pointer.
Grace was able to close within one point with 6:35 to play, but an 11 to two
Goshen run over the next two minutes pushed the Leafs’ lead back to 10
points. A pair of late turnovers allowed the Lancers to cut the deficit to
just 35-42 at halftime, and it looked to be a classic MCC affair in the making.
Daugherty’s team would bend but not break, however, as Grace could never
gain a lead in the second period. Freshman Matt Crawford’s three-point
field goal at the 10:31 mark gave Goshen a 64-51 cushion, but Grace wouldn’t
fold — the home team cut the lead to six points on three different occasions
over the game’s next four minutes. Goshen executed well down the stretch,
though, allowing Grace to get no closer than nine points in the game’s
final five minutes.
“In the second half we were much more efficient offensively,” Daugherty
said. “We set better screens, moved the ball better. We got better looks
because of it.”
Sophomore Eric Walsh paced Goshen with a game-high 25 points to go with six
rebounds. Senior Jeremy High netted 24 points on a nine for 14 effort from
the field. Kopanski chipped in 12 points and six boards, while seniors Josh
Turnpaugh and Darin Nunemaker along with freshman Willie Frazier each scored
six points.
“Jeremy and Eric were consistent scorers for us throughout the night,” Daugherty
said. “Darin came in and played solid defense, and hit a big shot for us
late. What I was most pleased with was how we answered Grace’s runs in
the second half. They cut into the lead, but we maintained our poise and answered.
That showed some maturity on our part.”
Game stats were eerily similar in most all categories for both teams, with
the Leafs holding the biggest advantage in three-pointers made (11 to Grace’s
five). Both teams shot 46 percent from the floor on the night, while Goshen
made two more free throws (22 to 20) than Grace. The Leafs also outrebounded
the Lancers 36-33.
“Winning a conference game on the road is difficult to do no matter who
you play,” Daugherty said. “We were very pleased to get out of there
with a win tonight.”
It only gets tougher for Goshen, as the squad will look to keep its undefeated
home record in tact when 13th-ranked Huntington comes to the Roman Gingerich
Center Saturday. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
JAN.
3 — New Year Begins With Another 'W' For Goshen
Leafs
take out Purdue North Central 95-66 in final pre-conference game
 Freshman
Willie Frazier
 Freshman
Matt Crawford |
Goshen,
IN — The Goshen College men’s basketball team
rung in the new year with style Saturday, thumping Purdue
University North Central by a 95-66 score in the Roman Gingerich
Center. The win was Goshen’s 15th straight and pushed
the Leafs’ overall record to 17-1 heading into Mid-Central
Conference play this Tuesday at Grace.
“Again we had good balance and depth, and this topped off an outstanding
pre-conference season for us,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “We
know it is a new season beginning Tuesday, but this start should at least give
us some confidence as we head into conference play.”
Goshen (17-1, 0-0) showed some swagger against the visiting Panthers Saturday,
slowly building a 17-point lead in the first half of play. Purdue North Central
was able to cut into the deficit in the period’s final two minutes, however,
and only trailed the Leafs by a 40-28 score at halftime. After a slow start
to the second half — PNC cut the lead to eight points just two and a
half minutes into the stanza — Goshen came alive, going on an 11 to zero
run to push the lead to 55-36 with 13:20 to play. The Panthers would get no
closer than 16 points the remainder of the way, as the Leafs continually pushed
their lead, regardless of who was on the floor: Six Goshen players scored in
double figures, while no player played more than 25 minutes.
“When we play well, we share the ball well,” Daugherty said. “Today
we were sluggish at times, but that was to be expected after playing a tournament
this past Monday and Tuesday and having Grace coming up in a few days. Sluggishness
is not a concern for us from here on out.”
Sophomore Eric Walsh paced the Leafs with 16 points and nine rebounds on the
afternoon. Junior Paul Kopanski notched 15 points on a seven for 11 effort
from the field, while freshman Willie Frazier scored 13 and grabbed six boards.
Seniors Jeremy High and Josh Turnpaugh and freshman Matt Crawford all scored
11 points in the win.
“I thought that Jeremy had a good effort defensively and helped us pick
it up a bit in the second half,” Daugherty said. “Once we started
to defend better, we were able to run the floor offensively.”
Goshen will begin MCC play Tuesday night at Grace. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
DEC.
29-30 — Leafs Take Trophy At Bluffton Tournament
Goshen
beats Millikin, host school to win second tournament of season
|
 Winners: The
Goshen men’s basketball team poses with the McDonald’s
of Bluffton Holiday Tournament championship trophy
following its 68-47 defeat of the host Beavers.
|
Bluffton,
OH — Even the Christmas holiday break couldn’t
slow down the Goshen College men’s basketball team,
as the squad picked right back up from where it left off
at the McDonald’s of Bluffton Holiday Tournament on
Monday and Tuesday. Goshen handed Millikin University (IL)
its second loss of the season in a 91-62 rout in the tournament’s
opening game Monday evening, and then handled host Bluffton
College by a 68-47 score in the championship game. The wins
pushed the Leafs’ overall record to 16-1 and gave the
squad its 14th straight victory, including its second tournament
trophy of the year — the Leafs took their own Maple
Leaf Invitational crown on Nov. 14-15.
“I was pleasantly surprised with how we came back after a five-day layoff
for the holidays,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “We shot
the ball extremely well and our intensity was good, and I was very pleased with
how we competed.”
Goshen (16-1, 0-0) started the tourney modestly, capturing a 25-20 lead over
Millikin with just 4:34 to go in the first half of play. The Leafs would explode
from that point on, however, pushing the lead to 39-24 at halftime and shooting
an incredible 75 percent from the field in the second half to open up a haymaker.
Daugherty’s squad outscored Millikin by a 23 to nine count in the second
period’s first six minutes, and eventually pushed its lead to 33 points
on three different occasions before settling for the final 27-point cushion.
The Leafs were led by freshman Willie Frazier’s 17 points and six rebounds
in the tourney opener. Senior Jeremy High and sophomore Jordan Buller provided
14 points apiece, while freshman Matt Crawford scored 11. For the game, the
Leafs shot an incredible 32 for 53 from the field (60.4 percent) including
a 10 for 20 clip from three-point range. The squad also converted a total 18
of 24 shots in the second period (75 percent), giving Millikin no chance to
stop the bleeding.
“Millikin came into our game with a 6-1 record and had been playing very
well,” Daugherty said. “We played very solid basketball, especially
to end the first half and to start the second half. (Sophomore) Eric Walsh (nine
points, five rebounds) was nursing a sprained ankle and couldn't go 100 percent.
Willie Frazier played his best game of his career on both ends of the floor,
and that gave Eric some relief and gave our team a big lift.”
After running amok Monday against Millikin, the host Beavers were going to
allow Goshen no such chance to do the same in the championship game Tuesday
afternoon. Playing a deliberate, stalling offense, Bluffton was able to shorten
the game dramatically, and only trailed Goshen by a 12-15 score with just six
minutes to play in the first half. The Leafs were able to put together a steady
run to end the period, and took a 27-19 lead at halftime.
Daugherty’s squad was able to keep the lead throughout the second half,
but got a scare when Bluffton closed the gap to 32-36 with 11:34 to play. From
that point Goshen turned up its defense and became more efficient on offense,
putting a 15 to zero run on the Beavers over the game’s next four minutes
and putting the contest out of reach.
After limited minutes in the tournament’s first game, Walsh came up huge
in the championship, scoring a tournament-high 30 points and grabbing 15 rebounds,
all while going 10 of 13 in shooting from the floor. High scored 11 points
to go with five assists, while Buller and senior Josh Turnpaugh each notched
eight points in the win. The Leafs outrebounded Bluffton by a 39 to 26 count,
and were able to put the game away despite shooting only eight for 25 from
three-point land (32 percent).
“The championship game was a change of pace in that Bluffton was very patient
and made us play defense for the whole shot clock for most of the first half,” Daugherty
said. “I thought we became patient on defense, and settled into the flow
of the game. Eric Walsh played particularly well for having just recovered from
a sprained ankle. I am not sure that he was 100 percent, but he played very efficiently
inside. Jeremy High played very unselfishly for the entire tournament and set
the tone for our team. Overall, it was a quality win on the road against a well-coached
team.”
Walsh was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after his breakout
performance against Bluffton, while High was also named to the all-tournament
team. Bluffton defeated Lake Erie College (OH) 76-71 in overtime to advance
to the championship game. Millikin took down Lake Erie by a 87-76 score in
the consolation game. For complete tournament game recaps, statistics and information,
click here.
Goshen will return to the Roman Gingerich Center Saturday, when the team will
host Purdue University North Central. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
DEC.
20 — Team Effort Takes Apart East-West, 111-80
Leafs
place six players in double-figure scoring to head into Christmas
|
 Open
look: Senior
Darin Nunemaker drains an open three in the second
half against East-West University Saturday afternoon.
|
Goshen,
IN — The Goshen College men’s basketball team
made good use of its only home game during the month of December
on Saturday, defeating visiting East-West University by a
111-80 score at the Roman Gingerich Center. The Leafs kept
their undefeated home record (7-0) in tact by placing six
players in double-figure scoring, while limiting the Phantoms
to just a 30 for 77 effort from the floor (39 percent) on
the afternoon.
“This was a good game for us to play right before (Christmas) break,” said
Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “We were able to play a lot of people
and they all contributed in a positive way.”
Goshen (14-1, 0-0) quickly built a 16-point lead, commanding a 27-11 advantage
just eight and a half minutes into the contest. East-West was able to cut the
lead to just seven points with five and a half minutes to play, but a late
15 to six Leaf run gave Daugherty’s squad a 51-35 advantage at halftime.
East-West began the second period with a slight run to cut Goshen’s lead
to nine points on three different occasions, but the Leafs answered with better
play in the half’s latter 10 minutes — Goshen would expand its
lead to 33 points before cruising to the win.
For the game, Goshen connected on 58.3 percent of its shots (35 of 60) while
handing out 27 team assists. The Leafs also made good use of the free throw
line, attempting a season-high 43 charity attempts while connecting on 34 (79.1
percent). All dressed players entered the game, while 12 of 13 players scored.
Goshen was again led offensively by sophomore Eric Walsh, who tapped 18 points
on a perfect shooting night from both the floor (eight for eight) and the free
throw line (two for two). Freshman Wille Frazier connected for 16 points to
go with a team-high seven rebounds, while junior Paul Kopanski tallied 14 points
and six boards. Senior Josh Turnpaugh knocked in 13, while classmate Mark Wilson
chipped in 11 points. Freshman Matt Crawford scored 10 points. No Goshen player
played more than 22 minutes for the game.
“I thought that Mark Wilson gave us a good lift in the first half and Willie
Frazier and David Haire played well in the second half,” Daugherty said.
Goshen will take a week to enjoy the Christmas holiday and the greatest start
to a season in the program’s history, as the Leafs’ current 14-1
record is three games better than any other season start since Goshen’s
first team was fielded in 1954. The Leafs will next participate in Bluffton
College’s holiday tournament on Dec. 29, when the team will take on NCAA
Division III Millikin University (IL) at 6 p.m.
“I think we are ready for a few days off,” Daugherty said. “Hopefully,
we can get some rest, get healed up and come back refreshed mentally after a
week off. It has been a great start to the season, but I know that our guys are
really looking forward to the upcoming tournament and then conference play. We
are excited to compete against the outstanding teams in our league.”
DEC.
18 — Leafs Too Much For St. Joe's, Win 11th Straight
Goshen
answers every push from NCAA Division II school in 98-91 win
|
 Rolling: Goshen
head coach Stan Daugherty speaks with his team during
a timeout in the second half of Thursday night’s
game with St. Joseph’s College. With the win,
the Leafs recorded their 11th straight victory.
|
Rensselaer,
IN — Thursday night in Rensselaer, Indiana, the Goshen
College men’s basketball team responded to runs by
St. Joseph’s College again. . .and again. . .and again.
In the end, the Leafs had enough firepower to overcome the
NCAA Division II team 98-91, pushing Goshen’s record
to 13-1 overall while recording its 11th win in a row.
“This was an outstanding win for us on the road against a solid NCAA D-two
basketball team,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “We played
hard on both ends of the court, and I was very pleased with our intensity throughout
the whole game. We were able to execute throughout the game, which helped us
when St. Joe made their pushes. Overall, this was a great win that should continue
to give us confidence as we head into the conference schedule in January.”
Goshen (13-1, 0-0) showed no fear of the host Pumas from the start, taking
the game’s first basket and never trailing for the remainder of the contest.
The Leafs were able to push their lead to 14 points with just 5:21 remaining
in the first half, but a steady 18 to seven run by St. Joe’s to close
the period made the score 38-35, Goshen, at the intermission.
Again, however, the Leafs stormed out of the locker room, regaining a 14-point
advantage just five minutes into the second half. Goshen pushed its lead to
66-50 at the 11:35 mark, but an 18 to seven St. Joseph run over the next four
and a half minutes closed the gap to 73-68. Daugherty’s team did not
panic, as sophomore Eric Walsh scored the game’s next eight points to
help push the lead back to 13 points. St. Joseph’s was able to close
within six points on two different occasions in the game’s final 37 seconds,
but made free throws and secure ball handling down the stretch never allowed
the Pumas to get any closer.
“Our team balance was excellent and our offense moved the ball well, especially
against their pressure late in the game,” Daugherty said. “We showed
some toughness in how we reacted to some big shots made by St. Joseph’s
on several different occasions. We continued to trust our stuff on both ends
of the floor, and that helped us regain the lead time and time again.”
Walsh led all scorers with a career-high 35 points on a 13 for 18 effort from
the field, including a four of five clip from three-point land. Classmate Jordan
Buller scored 21 points and handed out four assists to no turnovers, while
senior Josh Turnpaugh scored 14 points in a quasi-homecoming for the Kentland,
Indiana native. Senior Darin Nunemaker added 11 points, while senior Jeremy
High scored nine and grabbed a team-high seven boards.
Despite being outrebounded by a 45-33 margin and shooting 10 less shots, Goshen
was able to connect on the same amount of field goals as St. Joseph’s
(35). The Leafs shot 53.8 percent from the field for the night, including a
warm 15 for 28 (53.6 percent) clip from three-point land.
“Even though we were outrebounded, I thought we battled them on the glass,” Daugherty
said. “Eric Walsh continued to play with enormous effort against larger
players inside and he shot the ball well from the perimeter. Jordan Buller played
his best overall game at Goshen against strong defensive pressure all night.
Our post players played well defensively against some big people inside. Jeremy
High was active all night long on both ends of the floor. Our making the extra
pass on offense often allowed us to get wide open looks from the three-point
line and we connected on 15 of 28 of those shots. That ball movement and shooting
the ball well were big keys in the win.”
Goshen will return to the Roman Gingerich Center Saturday for its only home
contest in the month of December. The Leafs will host East-West University.
Game time is set for 3 p.m.
DEC.
10 — Goshen Locks Up IUSB; Takes 76-59 Win
Leafs
hold Titans to just two points over game's final 12 minutes
Sophomore
Eric Walsh
 Senior
Josh Turnpaugh |
South
Bend, IN — A strong defensive effort gave Goshen its
tenth consecutive win Wednesday night at Indiana University
South Bend, pushing the team’s overall record to 12-1,
the best start to a season in school history. Goshen defeated
the host Titans 76-59, after holding IUSB to just two points
in the game’s final 12 minutes of play, including a
six and a half minute scoreless stretch to end the game.
“This was an excellent win for us coming off of finals and playing on the
road,” said Goshen head coach Stan Daugherty. “IUSB is a much improved
team that is capable of scoring a lot of points. The key for us was our defensive
effort in the second half. I thought that we might be a little sluggish on offense
because of finals and some of our players have been sick. We didn’t shoot
the ball well from the outside, but our defense in the second half keyed a lot
of fast break opportunities that led to some easy baskets.”
Goshen (12-1, 0-0) was sluggish early, shooting just 13 for 28 from the field
in the first half (46.4 percent) while only connecting on three of 10 three-point
attempts. Worse, the Leafs allowed IUSB to shoot an impressive 16 for 25 from
the field (64 percent) including a four of six clip from three-point land,
giving the Titans a 39-37 advantage at the half.
The second half was a different story, however, as Goshen was able to turn
up the intensity in the final 12 minutes. IUSB led 57-55 at the 12:12 mark,
but would not score another field goal for the remainder of the game. The Leafs
outscored the Titans by a 21 to two margin in that final span, with IUSB connecting
on two free throws at the 6:37 point for its only points. Goshen held the Titans
to just a 36 percent shooting clip in the final period (seven for 19), while
holding IUSB well below its average of 95.2 points per game.
“Our overall offense picked up as we gained defensive intensity throughout
the second half of the game,” Daugherty said. “I was very proud of
our toughness and tenacity to stick with it when we had not played well in the
first half. Overall, it was a good effort to end the first semester of classes.
We are looking forward to a weekend off and then the challenge of playing again
next week.”
Sophomore Eric Walsh paced the Leafs with a game-high 20 points and six rebounds.
Senior Josh Turnpaugh chipped in 12 points, while junior Paul Kopanski notched
10 points and six boards. Freshman Matt Crawford scored nine points on a four
of five effort from the field, while senior Jeremy High tallied eight points.
Goshen’s 12-1 start to the season is the best in school history, just
outdoing the 1956-1957 squad that compiled an 11-1 record that year. The bar
is raised for the Leafs following a short break from practice, however — Goshen
will travel to NCAA Div. II St. Jospeh’s College next Thursday, Dec.
18. Game time is slated for an 8:30 p.m. (EST) start.
DEC.
6 — Team Grinds Out 72-60 Road Win At Kalamazoo
Defense,
rebounding help keep lead throughout second half
 Senior
Darin Nunemaker |
Kalamazoo,
MI — Despite converting just seven second-half field
goals, the Goshen men’s basketball team came away with
a hard-fought, 72-60 win at Kalamazoo College Saturday afternoon.
After knocking in 14 of 32 shots in the first period and
taking a 41-27 halftime lead, the Leafs used stingy half-court
defense and a slight rebounding edge to hold off the NCAA
Div. III Hornets in a highly physical contest.
“This was a good, hard-fought win for us on the road, and our best road
win yet without a doubt,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “We
knew it would be a very physical game and I thought we handled it well.”
Goshen (11-1, 0-0) slowly built its 14-point first half advantage with solid
half-court defense and a disciplined attack on offense, holding Kalamazoo to
just a 10 for 27 effort from the floor (37 percent) while outrebounding the
Hornets by a 23 to 13 margin. The Leafs had to rely even more heavily on its
defense in the second period, when the squad could only convert seven of 22
second-half field goal attempts (31.8 percent). On the afternoon, Goshen shot
a mere 38.9 percent from the field, the first time this season the team shot
below 44 percent from the floor and only the third time the Leafs connected
on less than 50 percent of their tries. A strong performance from the free
throw line (23 for 28, 82.1 percent) and a 39 to 31 rebounding advantage allowed
Goshen to maintain at least a 10-point lead throughout the second half, however.
Forty-five total fouls were called in the contest in addition to 10 jump ball
exchanges.
“We didn’t shoot the ball as well as we have been, so our defense
and rebounding had to carry us for most of the game,” Daugherty said. “I
was very proud of how we handled ourselves in an extremely physical game. We
met all of Kalamazoo’s best efforts and did so with a lot of poise and
self-control. We handled the lead well in the last six minutes and our clock
management with the lead was good.”
Goshen was led offensively by sophomore Eric Walsh, who scored 14 points despite
only a two for eight shooting performance from the field. Seniors Darin Nunemaker
and Jeremy High each added 13 points, as all Leaf players who entered the game
scored. Walsh grabbed a game-high eight rebounds, and High snatched seven boards.
“It was good to have ten players play between 16 and 25 minutes,” Daugherty
said. “All of them made contributions in a variety of ways. Overall, it
was a good experience to help us prepare for conference play in January.”
Goshen will finish final examinations this week, and then will travel to Indiana
University South Bend on Wednesday night. Game time is slated for a 7 p.m.
tip.
DEC.
2 — Goshen Flattens Andrews On Road
All
players score in 98-36 drubbing of Cardinals
Senior
Jeremy High
 Freshman
David Haire |
Berrien
Springs, MI — Facing first-year program Andrews University
for the second time of the season, the Goshen men’s
basketball team outdid itself, defeating the host Cardinals
by a 98-36 score. Goshen only defeated Andrews by an 83-36
score at the Roman Gingerich Center on Nov. 5, as Goshen
head coach Stan Daugher |
