DEC. 29 — Goshen closes 2007 with a win against Trinity Christian College

Leafs turn in a solid team effort as they grab the 78-67 win

PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. - The Goshen College men's basketball team returned to action Saturday against the Trinity Christian College Trolls following a brief hiatus in observance of the Christmas holiday. Though it took a little bit to warm up, the Maple Leafs came out strong to hand the TCC Trolls a 78-67 defeat and move to an overall record of 13-2 for the season.

The first half could have been billed as a defensive battle as both teams were held to under 30 points. Goshen was only able to score 28 points, while they also locked down and allowed 15 points to be scored by Trinity Christian.

Regarding the half, Goshen head coach Gary Chupp remarked, "I thought that we defended extremely well the first half, holding Trinity to 15 first half points. We were focused on taking away their sets, and keeping up our defensive intensity for the entire shot clock. Even though we didn't shoot the ball particularly well, that defensive effort provided a 13 point cushion at the break."

The first half offensive stats did not look favorably on Goshen as their team free throw percentage was just 66.7, while the went 0-8 from three point territory.

Coming into the second half with a 13 point advantage, the Maple Leafs knew they would need to step up offensively if they were to go home with the win. This mindset proved necessary as Trinity Christian stepped up the offensive pressure and scored a total of 52 points in the half.

Goshen responded to this, however, as they too stepped up on offense and increased their lead to as many as 22 points with just over 15 minutes remaining in the game.

"I challenged our guys at halftime to stretch the lead to 20 in the first couple of minutes of the second half and we were able to do that, building a 22 point lead with about fifteen minutes left. To their credit, they started shooting the ball extremely well from three point range, and managed to climb back in it. However, as we have done all season, we were able to seal the win by knocking down our free throws." said Coach Chupp.

Indeed it was free throws that helped Goshen stay in front of Trinity Christian for the remainder of the game as they were effectively shut out from the field during the final seven minutes of the game.

From this point, holding a 56-37 lead, the only points that Goshen would put on the scoreboard came from the free throw line.

The closing minutes of the game saw Trinity Christian heat up from three point territory and pull within five points of Goshen following the successful conversion of five consecutive three-point attempts. However, Goshen was able to bounce back and go on a streak of their own by making 15 free throws in the final three minutes to keep the Trolls at bay.

Goshen finished the second half with a free-throw percentage of 74.3, making 26 of 35 attempts. Also of note was the offensive performance of Errick McCollum who contributed 14 made free throws and a total of 28 points to the Maple Leafs' effort. Brice Hartman also added 19 points and 3 steals for Goshen with Sam Boldman and Nate West finishing with 8 points each.

The Maple Leafs will now be focusing on preparing for conference play as they open up 2008 with a home contest against MCC opponent Spring Arbor University.

Coach Chupp is eagerly anticipating conference play as he says, "From my perspective, the second half of the season now begins as we gear up for MCC play the rest of the way. We are certainly pleased to be 13-2, but these next couple of weeks will go a long way towards determining if we have what it takes to move into the upper echelons of the MCC."

The Cougars of Spring Arbor University will visit the Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center on Wednesday, January 2. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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Junior Kyle Laker