|
|
JAN. 19 — Goshen men drop intense contest to Huntington University
Maple Leafs next face Marian College |
GOSHEN, Ind. — The Goshen College men’s basketball team returned to the Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center on Saturday to face the Foresters of Huntington University. Fans of both teams were treated to an intense game on both ends of the court that played out until the very last minute.
It was apparent from the beginning that the Foresters would prove to be another tough matchup for the Maple Leafs as the opening 13 minutes were played with neither team gaining a significant lead. In fact, there were two lead changes and seven ties with the largest lead being five points in Huntington’s favor.
This lasted until the 7:25 mark when Goshen jumped in front for the remainder of the half following a successful free-throw by sophomore Errick McCollum.
From this point, the Maple Leafs closed the half with a 20-11 run that gave them a 45-35 lead going into halftime.
Goshen’s shooting turned out to be the big story for the half with the offense making 62.5% of shots from the field. The Leafs also made 4 of 9 three-point attempts and connected on 84.6% of their free-throws. Huntington shot well from the free-throw line, making 8 of 10, but they only converted on 38.7% of their field goal attempts, including going 3-11 from three-point range.
The second half was a completely different story for both teams.
Huntington seemed to feed off the energy of their supporters as their offense quickly found its rhythm — making 7 of 8 to start the half. Huntington also stepped up its defense, holding Goshen to 22 points for roughly the first 13 minutes of the second half as they pulled even at 67-67 with 7:38 remaining in the game.
At the 7:18 mark, following a three-pointer from Kyle Benge, the Foresters took hold of the lead. Though the Maple Leafs got close, and even tied the score with 4:44 remaining, there was not much they could do to gain the upper hand.
The closing 2:30 saw Goshen stay within striking distance, never getting farther than five points from the lead, but Huntington was able to show why they lead the MCC in team free-throw percentage in conference play by making 8 of 8 attempts during the closing minutes. The Foresters ended the half making 15 of 16 from the line and an overall percentage of 88.5 for the game while also shooting 70.8% from the field.
The Foresters won the game 89-85, leaving the Maple Leafs with a 3-4 record in conference play.
After the game, Goshen head coach Gary Chupp noted, "I was disappointed that we gave up another double digit lead at home, but give Huntington credit — they shot lights out in the second half, including four 3s late in the game. After going on a run late in the first half to stretch the halftime lead to 10, we came out flat on the defensive end of the court, and let them right back in the game."
Sophomore Nate West Jr. posted a double-double, grabbing 13 rebounds and scoring 14 points, while fellow classmate Errick McCollum led all scorers with 28 points. Senior Brice Hartman turned in another solid effort as he contributed 19 points and 6 rebounds. Goshen’s bench also added 18 points to the mix.
Next up for the Maple Leafs is another tough MCC test: the Knights of Marian College. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 23 in the Gingerich Recreation-Fitness Center on the campus of Goshen College.
Click Here For Complete 2007-2008 Season
News
|
  Junior Sam Boldman
|
|
|
|
|
|
