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DEC.
28-29 — Leafs Come Close In Hope Tournament
Solid
play overshadowed by key lapses in two losses at
D3 powerhouse event |
Holland, MI — If there was any question
to just how good the field was at this week’s Hope College Russ
Devette Holiday Tournament, one needed to look no further than the game
day programs.
Comprised of four teams whose win-loss records tallied a combined
31-10, the Goshen College men’s basketball team found itself on
the short end of the stick both Wednesday and Thursday nights, dropping
an 89-97 decision to John Carroll University on the first night and a
67-75 contest to Lakeland College Thursday evening. For Goshen head coach
Stan Daugherty, the tournament was a case of good basketball being overshadowed
by a few lapses, causing his team to fall short in both contests.
“We knew going into this tournament that it would be outstanding
competition for us in both games, regardless of who we matched
up against,” Daugherty
said. “I was concerned about our 12-day (Christmas) layoff, but
I thought it was important to have a break away from the game.
Overall, I was pleased with the way we competed in both games. We had
stretches
where we played very well and we had stretches where we didn’t play
well. As I told the team after the tournament, time will tell
if this trip helped us or not. I think we can learn a lot from both games
that
will help us to improve for the rest of the season. We know that
we have to get better to have success in the rest of our league games.”
Goshen’s first opponent — John Carroll — was not the
best prescription following a lengthy layoff. The Blue Streaks’ pressing,
up and down, 11-man rotation wore on the Leafs late, as a game dominated
by Goshen was given away down the stretch.
Goshen led throughout the fist half, scoring the game’s first 10
points while taking a 45-41 lead into the locker room at hafltime. That
trend continued until the midway point in the second half, when John Carroll’s
pressure finally began to fatigue Daugherty’s squad. The Blue Streaks
captured their first lead at the 10:48 mark (a 71-68 advantage), and after
a quick burst by Goshen reclaimed a 73-72 lead, John Carroll began to
keep things steady. A Blue Streaks’ three-pointer and a layup made
it a 77-73 John Carroll advantage, and though Goshen would keep things
close down the stretch, the Leafs could never regain the lead.
Goshen’s best chance at making things interesting came at the 3:55
mark, when back to back threes by seniors Jordan Buller and Tyler Sheerer
made the score 88-85, John Carroll. The Streaks responded with and and-one
layup on their next trip, however, rebuilding the lead to six. Goshen
would not get closer the remainder of the way.
Senior Eric Walsh led the way for Goshen with 23 points on six
of 10 shooting, while junior Matt Crawford made seven of 10 shots for
a total 17 points. Both Buller and sophomore Brice Hartman carded 15 points,
while Sheerer dished out six assists to go with seven points. Walsh’s
nine rebounds was a game high, but Goshen’s late leg weariness was
evident in the stats: After holding John Carroll to just 44.4 percent
shooting in the first half (16 of 36), the Blue Streaks converted 17 of
28 second-half attempts (60.7 percent).
“Early in the game against John Carroll we moved the ball well
and hit some shots,” Daugherty said. “We attacked their press
and got some good looks. We didn’t run the floor as well as I would
have liked and they got some open shots throughout the game.
Part of that was our not being in game shape after the break and some
of it was their
execution to run their fastbreak. In the final 10 minutes of
the game we made some mistakes and missed some wide open shots. I liked
how we
competed and I thought it was much better than the last two weeks
before our break. I thought this game was an excellent preparation for
our game
against Bethel next week.”
Facing Lakeland in the consolation game, Goshen got a taste of
an entirely different style, as the Muskies’ slow down, half-court
tempo was a stark contrast from the night before. And, following a decent
start — the Leafs claimed a 10-5 lead four minutes into the action — things
got bad in a hurry, as Lakeland went on a 25 to four run to claim a 16-point
lead (30-14) with 7:37 remaining in the half.
After a stern discussion from Daugherty during a timeout, Goshen
responded with the type of play the team is capable of executing. The
Leafs closed with a remarkable 22 to five run to end the half, taking
a 36-35 lead into the locker room in the most surprising of turnarounds.
“We had a bad stretch where we got down 16, but then we played
excellent to end the first half and regain the lead,” Daugherty
said. “That seven or eight minute stretch was the best basketball
we have played for awhile.”
The neck and neck affair continued through the majority of the
second period, with neither team leading by more than three points
on any occasion. After nine second-half ties, it was Goshen that
possessed a 61-60 lead with 4:32 remaining, seemingly on the
verge of toughing
out
a solid win. That was before Lakeland closed with a 15 to six
run to finish the contest.
Two big Muskies’ threes and a variety of missed shots on Goshen’s
end led to the late disparity, as Lakeland converted its last 10 free
throws to keep the game at a safe distance.
Walsh again led the way for Goshen, charting 24 points and 11
rebounds in 33 minutes of work. Those numbers led to his selection on
the all-tournament team, Goshen’s lone representative. Perhaps equally
deserving was Crawford, who scored 18 points on a five of six shooting
effort from the field. Buller knocked in 11 points while Hartman scored
10 to go with seven rebounds. Junior starting power forward Willie Frazier,
now practicing following arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage
in his left knee, did not dress for either game.
“I really thought we played good basketball for about 30 minutes
of the game Thursday,” Daugherty said. “In the second half
we played pretty solid until the final 4:32. We had a one-point
lead, but then gave up a couple of three-point shots and we didn't execute
offensively
at all to end the game. I liked the way we competed for most
of the game, but we have to be more consistent for the whole game.”
Hope College won the event, defeating Lakeland by a 54-46 score
Wednesday night before knocking off John Carroll 89-77 in the championship
game.
Goshen will now return to Mid-Central Conference play, looking
to keep a grasp on a share of second place in the league. The team will
travel to rival Bethel College Tuesday night. Game time is set for 7 p.m.
in the Wiekamp Center. |
  Junior
Matt Crawford
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