For three quarters of the contest, the Leafs looked to be the host Panthers’ equal.

After a brilliant Goshen effort kept the game tied through the second half’s 15:54 mark, Kentucky Wesleyan gradually wore the Leafs down with its collective strength and girth, eventually taking a 100-72 decision over Goshen (3-3, 0-0) in a game that was far closer than the final score indicated. With 2,200 fans urging the Panthers on, Goshen head coach Stan Daugherty said he was pleased with his team’s effort and poise — for the most part.

“First of all, I couldn’t be more proud of our competitiveness and effort for the majority of this game,” Daugherty said to the media following the event. “We were very aggressive and didn’t seem intimidated by the atmosphere or the physicality of play. We were aggressive offensively early on, and that kept us in it. Eventually, Kentucky Wesleyan wore us down with their weight and strength. But for about the most part, we were very competitive.”

The Leafs’ competitiveness early on was fueled by freshman Errick McCollum, who scored 17 first-half points and grabbed four rebounds to light a spark under Daugherty’s team from the outset. After a McCollum layup gave Goshen a 10-8 lead just three and a half minutes into play, Kentucky Wesleyan went on a 13 to three run to push ahead 21-13. Even while the Panthers captured a 10-point lead with 8:13 remaining in the first half and led by nine points on seven occasions, a made three-pointer by junior Brice Hartman and a layup from McCollum cut Welseyan’s lead to just four — 49-45 — with 1:18 to play in the period. The Panthers converted an interior basket late to make it a 51-45 lead at the half, but Goshen was within striking distance.

“Our aggressiveness on offense got them in foul trouble in the first half, and we were able to get into the one-and-one (bonus) early,” Daugherty said. “We were 15 of 15 from the free throw line in the first half, and defensively we played hard. We gave up some height and weight inside, though, and that made it tough to keep them from shooting very well.”

Even giving up a 64.3 percent shooting performance to the Panthers in the first 20 minutes – Kentucky Wesleyan made 18 of 28 first-half shot attempts — Goshen did not look deterred at the outset of the second period. Knocking in its first four shots from the field, the Leafs tied the game at 57-57 just five minutes into the second half.

That’s when Kentucky Wesleyan’s Lewis Allen elected to go off.

The Panthers’ guard knocked in four of his game-high five three-point baskets over the contest’s next five minutes, pushing the Panthers ahead by a 73-61 score with 10:36 remaining. Goshen would pull within 10 points on two more occasions — a 73-63 deficit with 9:35 to play and a 75-65 deficit with 8:45 remaining — but would not get closer. Kentucy Wesleyan closed the final 8:45 with an incredible 25 to seven run, tainting the final score as a game-long blowout.

Daugherty and staff knew otherwise.

“We had a good start to the second half, and I was even pleased with our play up until the final 10 minutes or so,” Daugherty said. “But when Allen hit those four threes, that kind of gave (Kentucky Wesleyan) a shot in the arm. Down the stretch, they wore us down. We weren’t pleased with how we finished, but I think playing a team with bigger and stronger players will prepare us well for conference play. We proved we can play with teams like this. We just have to do it for 40 minutes.”

McCollum led Goshen with 23 points on a seven of 13 effort from the floor and also grabbed a team-best seven boards. Hartman scored 14 points, while senior Matt Crawford added seven. The game was a homecoming of sorts for senior David Haire, who attended nearby Evansville Memorial High School. Haire, who scored nine points on four of six shooting, was greeted before the game with television crews and print journalists looking for interview requests.

“Overall, this was a good trip for us,” Daugherty said. “We always like to play a game close to our seniors’ home, especially if they’ve come to Goshen from a distance like David has. But we also got some true team bonding down here, staying two nights in a hotel and being on the road for seven hours. It’s off-the-court things like this that will make us a better team as the season progresses.”

Daugherty can hope that is true immediately, as Goshen will open up the ultra-tough Mid-Central Conference season next. The Leafs will travel to NAIA 15th-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University on Tuesday night, facing a team that has averaged a victory margin of 32 points per game in its first five contests. Game time for the MCC opener is set for 7 p.m.