Unfortunately, the result was less than what the Leafs were after.

Goshen (3-4, 0-1) suffered a heartbreaking, 79-85 overtime defeat to 15th-ranked Indiana Wesleyan at IWU’s Luckey Arena, putting a bitter finish on what was a sturdy effort for 45 minutes of play. In a game that saw the Leafs trail by as many as 12 points in the second half, it was Goshen that never relinquished, eventually tying the game at 73-73 before being outscored by a 12-6 margin in the extra period for the loss.

“I thought we came in here with a really good game plan and effort tonight, but you obviously want to win these types,” said Stan Daugherty, Goshen head coach. “Given our youth, I thought we competed very well and didn’t panic when we got down. We kept trying to do the right things, and that got us back in the game.”

Indiana Wesleyan got the most out of a tightly contested opening half, as the Wildcats claimed a seven-point lead on four different occasions. With both teams shooting the ball at a high rate of effectiveness — Goshen connected on 53.8 percent of its first-half tries compared to Wesleyan’s 53.1 percent — it was a runner from Wildcat guard Antonio Murrell at the buzzer that gave Indiana Wesleyan a 41-34 advantage at the intermission.

A slow start by the Leafs in the opening moments of the second half helped IWU to its biggest lead — a 47-35 advantage with 18:19 to play — but Goshen responded with a nine to nothing run to pull back within three points. Wesleyan would not lead by more than six for the remainder of regulation.

“In a game like this, there comes a point where you either can get back in it or get buried,” Daugherty said. “When we got down by 12 early in the second half, we were able to make a few plays on both ends of the court, and that gave us some confidence. We had some guys shoot the ball well, and that was good to see.”

Daugherty’s squad trailed 70-64 with 4:29 remaining in regulation, but followed with a pair of made free throws from senior Matt Crawford and a big three-point basket from classmate David Haire to cut it to a 70-69 contest with 3:15 to play. The Leafs eventually tied the contest at 73-73 behind four made free throws in the final 1:40, as both Crawford and Haire connected on a pair each.

With 19 seconds remaining in regulation, Indiana Wesleyan set up a final play to win the game. Despite giving up an offensive rebound, Goshen was able to advance into overtime.

The outset of the second period was melodramatic, as both teams combined to miss the first seven shots from the field in the period’s first two and a half minutes. Indiana Wesleyan was able to finally convert on consecutive possessions, however, and would not look back from a 77-73 lead. The Wildcats made four of their final six free throw attempts to ice the win.

While tying the game six times in the second half, Goshen was never able to capture a lead. Overtime was the only unkind period to Daugherty’s team offensively, as the team shot 54.5 percent in the second half (12 for 22) only to make just two of 11 attempts in the extra session (18.2 percent). Goshen missed its first eight shots of the overtime before cashing in on two of its final three attempts.

Crawford led the scoring effort for the Leafs, charting 25 points on a nine of 16 shooting effort. Haire knocked in 18 points in shooting just five shots from the floor, while junior Brice Hartman added 11 and freshman Errick McCollum 10. Freshman Nate West grabbed a team-high seven boards in 14 minutes of work, scoring eight points. Goshen welcomed senior Willie Frazier back to the lineup following an ankle injury suffered against Ohio Dominican University (click here for related article). Frazier played 18 minutes, scored four points and grabbed a pair of rebounds before fouling out.

“We had balanced scoring, and historically that is when we are at our best,” Daugherty said. “This was a step in the right direction. We are going to continue to figure out ways to execute better both defensively and offensively in the middle of tight games such as this.”

Goshen will take only a brief hiatus for the Thanksgiving holiday, as the team will travel to Bluffton University Friday night for an out-of-league match-up. Friday’s game is set for a 7 p.m. tip-off.