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JAN. 12 — Maple Leafs drop contest to NAIA #19 Grace College
Goshen College men will seek to rebound against #22 Taylor University |
WINONA LAKE, Ind — The Goshen College men’s basketball team faced another tough test Saturday as they traveled to face the Lancers of Grace College, who are currently ranked 19th among all NAIA Division II schools.
Goshen gave the Lancers all they could handle, but it was not enough as they concluded a tough week by falling 74-68. This leaves the Maple Leafs with a 2-3 record in the MCC, following a loss earlier in the week to NAIA Div. II #11 Bethel College, and a 14-5 record overall.
From the opening tip, Goshen struggled to find its offensive rhythm. Grace jumped out to a quick 10-point lead and the Leafs were effectively kept out of striking distance for most of the half.
The closest that the Leafs would get turned out to be five points, thanks in large part to converting 13 of 17 opportunities from the free-throw line. However, the Lancers quickly responded following a Goshen technical foul and pushed the lead back to 10, closing the first half with a 40-30 advantage.
Following the break, the Leafs came back onto the court determined to rebound from their offensive struggles in the first half.
During the second half, the Leafs outscored Grace 38-34, and made 56.5% of shots from the field. They also made 11 of 15 free throws, shooting 75% overall from the line for the game.
This offensive push proved to be futile, however, as the Leafs found themselves in foul trouble, and without the help of sophomore Errick McCollum, who fouled out with 7:15 remaining in the game.
Following McCollum's departure, the Leafs responded with an 11-5 run to pull within one possession of taking the lead, but the Lancers ended Goshen's run with a long range three-pointer as the shot clock expired, giving them a 66-62 lead.
Goshen tied the game in the final minute of play, at 66-66, but the win was not in the cards for the Leafs as the Lancers followed by capitalizing on fouls at both ends of the court.
Grace’s Kyle Johnson completed the three-point play as he was sent to the free-throw line following a successful shot attempt.
Now down 66-69 and with 17 seconds left on the game clock, the Leafs took the ball down the court looking for a quick basket only to come out on the wrong end of a moving screen violation. The Lancers got the ball back and never surrendered their lead.
After the game, Goshen head coach Gary Chupp reflected on the closing minutes, saying, “Having to overcome so many obstacles, I was pleased that we were able to put ourselves in position to win the game. After McCollum fouled out, we had several guys step up and make plays to tie the game under a minute. It was extremely disappointing having our last possession taken away from us."
With the loss, Goshen is now in sixth place, with a 2-3 record, in conference play. Both Bethel College and Grace College share the top spot with Taylor University, with 4-1 conference records.
The Maple Leafs will continue their challenging conference schedule this Wednesday, January 16, by facing off against Taylor University, which is ranked 22nd among all NAIA Division II schools. The game will be played in Taylor’s Odle Arena in Upland, Indiana. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
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  Senior Brice Hartman
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