MAR. 10 — Magical Season Ends In National Tournament
Goshen drops heartbreaking 70-72 loss to Ozarks to conclude amazing run

Sioux City, IA — With an 8:30 a.m. (CST) game time Wednesday morning against the College of the Ozarks, the Goshen College women’s basketball team literally tipped off the 2004 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Tournament at the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City, Iowa.

Oh, how they would have loved to end it.

Instead, Goshen suffered arguably its most heartbreaking defeat in program history, dropping a 70-72 decision to the Lady Cats to end what has been the greatest Leaf season in school history. Making its first-ever trip to the national tournament, Goshen (26-9 overall) came up just one play short of advancing on to second round action, as junior Candice Williams’ attempt to tie the game with one second remaining in regulation fell just short.

“For all the success we’ve had this year, this was a very disappointing loss,” said Steve Wiktorowski, Goshen head coach. “I felt we competed very well for 40 minutes and put ourselves in a position to win, but we didn’t quite come up with the one play we needed at different points in the game to put them away. I’ve never been more proud of a team than I am of this one. I just feel bad for our seniors who have helped bring this team so far and who really wanted to stay and play further into the tournament.”

Those seniors — Lindsay Fisher, DeeDee Martin and Sarah Moyer — helped turn around the Goshen program from a 10-17 team last season to Mid-Central Conference Champions this year, winning both the regular-season and conference tournament titles. After garnering an automatic berth into the national tournament as a result of its MCC Tournament crown, the Leafs were seeded fourth in their bracket and paired with the fifth-seeded Ozarks (25-6 overall), a team that has appeared in the tournament in four of the last five years.

Early on in the game, it was newcomer Goshen that appeared just as confident on the grand stage, however, trailing by no more than three points at any time before tying the game at 37 with 32 seconds remaining in the half. Junior Erin McDugle had a chance to give the Leafs the lead at the hafltime buzzer, but her three-pointer just missed, making the halftime score 37-37.

In the second period, Wiktorowski’s squad began to play even better, capturing a four-point lead on five different occasions and grabbing a 66-63 lead with 4:42 to play after Fisher drained a three-pointer from the corner. The Lady Cats would continue to keep the game close, taking a 67-66 lead just a minute later.

As the teams traded baskets down the stretch, the first game of the national championship tournament was turning into a classic: With 55 seconds to play, the Leafs trailed 69-68. Attempting to get the ball inside, Goshen turned the ball over, a mistake that Wiktorowski’s team only made nine times on the morning – tying a season low. After an Ozarks timeout, the Lady Cats came up with their biggest play of the game — Katie Howard scored a power move and was fouled in the act with just 37 seconds to play, making the score 71-68, Ozarks. After her made free throw made the score 72-68, the Leafs raced the ball down the floor and dumped it inside to junior Erin McDugle, who connected on a nifty shot to cut the deficit in half with 23 seconds remaining. Wiktorowski then called timeout to set up his defense.

Going for a steal on the inbounds pass, the Leafs were unsuccessful. Junior Candice Williams was forced to foul to stop the clock, and did so with just 13 seconds to play. Again Howard went to the line, this time with a one-and-one opportunity to ice the game.

Her first free throw was off.

As Martin collected the rebound, again Goshen raced the ball up the floor, getting it to just inside of halfcourt before calling timeout. Just eight seconds remained for the Leafs to draw a play up to either tie or win the game.

“The thing I was most happy with at that point in time was, at the end of the biggest game of their life, I had a bunch of kids who wanted the ball,” Wiktorowski said. “When you have the chemistry like we’ve had all year, and then you’ve got kids who want the ball in a big situation, that’s tough to get as a coach. But that’s what got us to this point in the first place.”

As the ball was inbounded to Fisher, Williams flashed to the wing. Fisher got the ball to her, and as she dribbled hard to the basket for a pull-up jumper, several Lady Cat defenders converged. She had a decent look at the basket, but her shot fell off the front of the rim. The ball was batted around for a brief moment, but the Ozarks’ Howard came down with it just as time expired. Goshen’s season had ended.

Williams finished with a team-high 26 points on 12 of 23 shooting. McDugle knocked in 25 points on an eight for 21 effort from the floor while grabbing nine rebounds. Martin scored 10 and secured seven rebounds, and Fisher tallied seven points.

“Offensively, I felt we gave them some problems, especially with Candice’s ability to drive and post,” Wiktorowski said. “We rode her back most of the second half. Erin McDugle was also a match up problem for them, and she moved and scored well on the inside. I felt our defense gave them too many good looks inside, but overall our gameplan was solid and we came up just short in a game that could have obviously gone either way.”

Goshen connected on 27 of 62 attempts for the game (43.2 percent) but made just four of 20 from three-point range (20 percent). Conversely, the Ozarks hit on 27 of 50 tries (54 percent) and eight of 22 from three-point land (36.4 percent). The Ozarks outrebounded Goshen by a 32-30 count, and the Leafs made just 12 of 17 free throws (70.6 percent). The Lady Cats did turn the ball over twice as many times as Wiktorowski’s team (18 turnovers) but made 10 of their 12 freebie attempts (83 percent). There were 13 ties and 20 lead changes in the game.

“They shot the ball from three better than we did today, but we did a better job in handling the ball,” Wiktorowski said. “Erin McDugle had several threes just rim out, and a few of those would have pushed our lead to six or seven points in the second half. It also hurt us when DeeDee Martin picked up her fourth foul (at the 6:52 mark), as she had just scored several baskets and was our best match up against Howard, their very good inside scorer.”

Howard led all scorers in the game with 32 points for the Ozarks, going 10 of 13 from the field and 10 of 11 from the free throw line. She was also two for three from behind the arc and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds. To view the complete box score from the game, click here.

“We missed a couple free throws here and there that we normally make, and that can make a big difference in a two-point game,” Wiktorowski continued. “I think we came here and showed that we can compete in a setting like this and play with the best teams in the country. The whole tournament atmosphere has been awesome and should make our returning players very determined to work and get back here next year.”

With the MCC’s Player Of The Year (McDugle) and first teamer (Williams) both returning, Goshen retains a large core of this season’s team. As Wiktorowski signs new players in the off-season, he said he is confident that the Goshen program could become a regular at the national event.

“We’re very determined that this is not a one-year flash in the pan,” Wiktorowski said. “It’s our realistic goal to be here every year, and I think with our returning players and the players that we’re recruiting, that’s a strong possibility.”

Check back to this website for the most up-to-date recruiting information, along with other post-season information and news. To contact head coach Steve Wiktorowski, call him at (574) 535-7492 or click here to send him an email.

MAR. 8 — Individual Awards Follow Leafs' Team Success
Wiktorowski, McDugle, Williams honored by MCC coaches

Junior Erin McDugle Junior Candice Williams

Indianapolis, IN — Even while the Goshen College women’s basketball program prepares for its first-ever trip to the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Tournament in Sioux City, Iowa this week, the accolades continue to stream in for the history-making team. Just a week after winning the Mid-Central Conference Tournament championship over Indiana Wesleyan University, the Leafs were honored thrice — Goshen head coach Steve Wiktorowski was named MCC Coach Of The Year, junior Erin McDugle was named MCC Player Of The Year and junior Candice Williams was named to the All-MCC First Team — making the incredible season even sweeter for the team.

“We are obviously honored to have these awards bestowed upon us, and they really are a tribute to our entire team, and how hard they’ve worked over the past two years,” Wiktorowski said. “This is a really nice award for Erin, Candice and myself, but it really is due to all of our players.”

Wiktorowski, in just his second year at Goshen and in coaching both women and at the college level, has taken the Leafs’ program from a 10-17 posting in 2002-2003 to a 26-8 overall record this season, including a 10-4 mark in conference play that earned his team a share of the MCC regular-season championship before winning the crown outright in the conference tournament. Goshen now sits on the brink of its first NAIA National Tournament game in school history, when the team will face off against The College of the Ozarks (24-6) Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. (EST).

“It is a great honor to receive this conference award from my fellow coaches, but I’ve been in coaching long enough to know that you don't win this award unless some important factors are in place, which they have been at Goshen College,” Wiktorowski said. “First of all, I have never worked with a better group of people than have been associated with this program, starting with the players. Our girls have the best attitudes and team chemistry of any group I have worked with in 23 years of coaching, and they have done an incredible job of buying into the new system we put into place last year. Barb Carbaugh has come in as my assistant this year and has made great contributions, while our athletic department has been incredibly helpful and supportive. We have great parents who have raised their daughters well and allowed me to do my job without interference. Finally, our fans have been tremendous. They were especially instrumental in our success at the end of the regular season and in the conference tournament. I recognize and appreciate that all these things played such an important role in the success of Goshen College women's basketball this year.”

McDugle collected her second All-MCC honor — she was voted to the third team in 2002-2003 — and became just the second player in Goshen history to win conference player of the year honors (Margene Murdent accomplished the feat in the 2001-2002). McDugle led the team in both scoring (20 points per game) and rebounding (7.1 rebounds per game) while leading the conference in scoring and field goal percentage (244 for 403, 60.5 percent). McDugle was also a difficult match-up due to her solid free throw shooting: She knocked in 157 of 184 freebies on the year, good for 85.3 percent.

“Erin has been one of the most difficult players to defend in the conference because she is a post player with such a variety of skills,” Wiktorowski said. She is six feet tall and is strong inside, yet is ambidextrous and very agile. She can score inside with a variety of post moves, while having the ability to step outside and shoot three pointers better than almost any post player around. She is also a clutch player who wants the ball at the end of the game, and has sealed many wins for us this year with her excellent free throw shooting ability under pressure. She is a good ballhandler and passer, and is noticeably unselfish with the ball for someone averaging 20 points a game. Erin is very tough minded as she has played the past two seasons with severe back problems. Best of all, she is a great person who is very coachable and extremely popular with her teammates.”

Williams, a Vincennes University transfer, made an enormous impact in her first season in a Goshen uniform, knocking in 14.8 points per game to help give the Leafs a lethal one-two punch. Williams drained 86.1 percent of her free throw attempts — a team best —while finishing sixth in the league in scoring, ninth in field goal percentage and fourth in three-point field goal percentage.

“Candice has improved tremendously in her short time here and definitely played her best basketball during our stretch run of winning 10 of our last 11 games in the conference,” Wiktorowski said. “She is a very difficult matchup because as a 5-10 guard she can handle the ball, shoot the three, penetrate, and became an excellent post-up player by the end of the year. She is a great person, very coachable, and as a transfer student has a done a nice job of fitting into our team chemistry. With the experience she gained this year in learning our system and experiencing conference play, she has the potential to be a really great player next year.”

Goshen now looks to continue its magical run into the post-season, as a fourth-seed in the national tournament. For a complete tournament bracket, click here. For a complete list of All-MCC award winners, click here.

MAR. 1 — Goshen Makes Sweet History In Championship
Leafs beat IWU 70-64 to to claim MCC title and earn national tournament berth

Goshen, IN — With the 25th-ranked Goshen College women’s basketball team and the 18th-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University squad both posting 10-4 regular-season Mid-Central Conference records, there was some uncertainty as to which program was truly the best in the MCC before Monday night.

What a difference 40 minutes can make.

Playing perhaps its best basketball of the season in front of a full-house crowd at the Roman Gingerich Center, the Leafs outshot, outrebounded and outplayed the visiting Wildcats to claim a 70-64 decision in the MCC Tournament Championship contest, taking the conference crown and earning a trip to the NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Tournament — both program firsts — in the process. After a tie-breaking system gave the Leafs the number one seed in post-season play — Indiana Wesleyan dropped to the second seed — Goshen fully utilized its home court advantage, defeating Grace College, Taylor University and Wesleyan at the Roman Gingerich Center over the past week to take the tournament title. Now, with the conference championship in hand, the team must set new goals as the national stage awaits.

“We’ll just enjoy this for the night before we go and start thinking about the national tournament,” said a spent Steve Wiktorowski, Goshen head coach. “These young ladies have done a tremendous job this year and this win means so much to our program. We were 10-17 last year and they have worked so hard and have come so far. I'm not sure I have ever had a group that has gotten more out of themselves or developed as much as they have. We are not the most athletic team in the conference, but we have a team made up of players who have great chemistry and play together so well. I have never been more proud of a team than I am of this one, and I hope we can represent Goshen College well next week.”

Goshen (26-8, 10-4) didn’t seem perturbed by the magnitude of Monday’s game from the outset, as the Leafs raced off to a 13-8 lead just seven minutes into the game. Goshen would claim as much as a seven-point lead in the first period — 26-19 at the 4:04 mark — before a quick five to nothing Wesleyan run cut the lead to just two with 2:35 to play. The game would stay that close down the stretch, until junior Erin McDugle converted a jumper at the halftime buzzer to make the score 30-26, Leafs, at the break.

“I thought we came out and got off to a good start defensively which led to a couple early baskets, and that seemed to relax us and give us confidence,” Wiktorowski said. “I thought both teams played good defense and were difficult to score against most of the game.”

It was the Leafs again, though, that started the second period in strong fashion. Wiktorowski’s squad pushed its lead to nine points just four minutes into the stanza, and captured a 51-39 advantage with 12:13 to play. Seeing that the game was nearly turning into a haymaker, Wesleyan responded: The Wildcats opened up a 16 to four run on the Leafs over the game’s next five minutes to notch the event’s first tie at 55 with 7:07 to play. Wesleyan tied the game again at 57-57 just 30 seconds later, and the championship was up for grabs.

In the game’s final five minutes, however, it was the host team that came up with more and bigger plays. A driving jumpshot by senior Lindsay Fisher with the shot clock at one second gave Goshen a two-point advantage. . .McDugle converted on a layup, plus a foul to push the Leafs’ lead to three. . .junior Candice Williams drove down the right side of the lane for a runner, again to push the Goshen lead back to two points. . .again and again, the Leafs made huge plays. And while Wesleyan did its best to keep pace — the Wildcats continually drove hard to the basket for tough scores — it was Goshen that never lost its poise, or its lead. Wiktorowski’s team drilled the last nine free throws it attempted, and never trailed in the game’s waning moments.

“We had some difficulty stopping their penetration in the second half which kept them in a position to win,” Wiktorowski said. “However, we were able to work the ball inside late to Williams and McDugle, and they along with (senior DeeDee) Martin made some big free throws to seal the win. We took good care of the ball, which was good to see against a quick and physical team. Most importantly we outrebounded them, which is something we have really struggled with lately.”

For the game, Goshen knocked in 25 of 50 attempts from the floor (50 percent), including an 18 of 19 effort from the free throw line (94.7 percent). The Leafs held Indiana Wesleyan to a 23 of 51 shooting performance (45.1 percent) and outrebounded the Wildcats by a 26 to 19 margin. Indiana Wesleyan did possess a large advantage in three point shooting (nine of 22, 40.9 percent compared to Goshen’s two of 12, 16.7 percent) but turned the ball over five more times (15 to 10) than the Leafs.

McDugle paced the champs with 22 points and nine rebounds on a seven for 12 shooting night. Williams scored 20 on a six for 13 shooting performance, while Martin chipped in 11 points, nine boards and a team-leading four assists. Fisher dropped nine points and grabbed four rebounds, with none larger than her shot clock-beating jumper late. Junior Kortney Hanson provided six points and three assists in 37 minutes of work.

“I thought Kortney Hanson and Candice Williams did a good job of playing a lot of minutes and maintaining their focus on ballhandling in a big game,” Wiktorowski said. “McDugle and Williams have played with great confidence this whole tournament and have made a lot of big plays both inside and out during pressure situations. Lindsay Fisher made a couple of important baskets and played good defense. Martin played her usual solid floor game and gave us great leadership. (Sophomore Jennifer) Rupp, (senior Sarah) Moyer and (freshman Ashley) Hegerfeld kept our level of play high when they came in off the bench.”

Goshen will face off against the College of the Ozarks (Missouri, 24-6, ranked 23rd, fifth seed) in the first round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament Wednesday, Mar. 10 at 8:30 a.m. Should the Leafs defeat the Lady Cats Wednesday, the team would play the winner of the Cedarville University-University of Maine Fort Kent winner Friday at 8:30 a.m. All games will take place in the Tyson Events Center/Gateway Arena in Sioux City. To view the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball National Tournament bracket in full, click here. Check back to this website for the latest news regarding Goshen’s journey to the program’s first national tournament berth.

FEB. 27 — Leafs' Run Continues To MCC Championship
Goshen beats Taylor for third time to stay alive in post-season play, 71-69

Explosive: Junior Candice Williams knocks in two of her amazing 16 first-half points. She finished with 24 points on the night.

Winning it: Junior Erin McDugle hits a layup with 11 seconds remaining in the game, proving to be the game-winner.

Goshen, IN — Defeating a team three times in a season is often viewed as one of the toughest things to do in athletics, but don’t tell that to the Goshen College women’s basketball team. Needing a third win against Taylor University to stay alive in the Mid-Central Conference Tournament, the 25th-ranked Leafs were good enough to do just that Friday night, taking a 71-69 decision against the visiting Trojans to set up a MCC Tournament championship contest against 18th-ranked and second-seeded Indiana Wesleyan University Monday night. The win places Goshen in its first-ever MCC Championship contest, as well as garnering the team its 25th win of the season, also a program-best.

“It’s a nice win in that we were able to withstand a tough rally late in the game, and now we’ve got an opportunity to play the regular-season conference co-champions on our floor to determine the tournament championship,” said Steve Wiktorowski, Goshen head coach. “This is exactly the type of opportunity we have worked so hard to get all during the season. It really is an exciting time to be part of what’s going on here.”

Goshen (25-8, 10-4) shared the regular-season conference championship with Wesleyan, as both teams finished with 10-4 marks in MCC play. Through a tie-breaking system, Goshen was awarded the number one seed, meaning the tournament championship will take place in the Roman Gingerich Center Monday night.

For that to happen, however, the Leafs first had to discard the fourth-seeded Trojans for the third time — Goshen beat Taylor 75-73 at Goshen on Jan. 14 and 73-68 in Upland on Feb. 7 — Friday night in a packed Roman Gingerich Center. The Leafs slowly built a first-half lead behind the incredible play of junior Candice Williams, who scored 16 of Goshen’s 38 first-half points to help the team to a six-point lead at the break, scoring on running jumpers, hard takes to the basket and everything in between.

“Candice got us off to a great first-half start and played with the most confidence and aggressiveness I have ever seen her have in a big game,” Wiktorowski said. “She really carried us early on.”

It would be classmate Erin McDugle’s turn to go to work for Goshen in the second period, as the MCC Player Of The Year candidate notched 21 of her game-high 26 points in the final 20 minutes — including the game-winning basket — after being saddled with foul trouble for much of the first half. Goshen pushed its lead to eight points early in the second half, but Taylor would not go away. The Trojans cut the lead to a single point on three different occasions before finally tying the game at 69 with just 27 seconds to play. That result occurred after Taylor put together a 10 to one run over the game’s final four and a half minutes, using a full-court press that forced Goshen to turn the ball over twice and miss two shots during that stretch.

With the game tied at 69, the Leafs calmly worked the ball around until senior DeeDee Martin threw a beautiful lob pass to McDugle on the left block. McDugle caught the pass in fluid motion and scored the go-ahead layup with 11 seconds remaining on the clock. Following a Taylor timeout, it was Williams who came up with the big defensive play, getting a hand on an attempted cross-court pass by Trojan guard Lydia Harris. McDugle recovered the loose ball, and was promptly fouled with four seconds on the clock. After another Taylor timeout, McDugle was long on the first of her one-and-one attempt at the line, and Taylor secured the rebound. The Trojans’ Jenny Davis raced the ball up the floor and got a good look at a potential game-winning three-pointer from just inside half court, but her shot grazed the lower right side of the backboard and fell harmlessly to the floor. Goshen had moved on.

The Leafs were led by McDugle’s 26 points — which included a four for four effort from the three-point arc — and Williams’ 24 points. Williams also grabbed a team-leading 10 boards and dished out three assists. Senior DeeDee Martin was the only other Goshen player to score in double-figures, tallying 11 points on a five for seven shooting effort. Senior Lindsay Fisher notched six points, while sophomore Jennifer Rupp scored four points to round off Goshen’s scoring. Junior Kortney Hanson dished out a team-high five assists on the night, going against serious pressure for much of the night.

“I really thought that Williams and McDugle carried us tonight,” Wiktorowski said. “McDugle got in foul trouble and only played 27 minutes, but she was a huge offensive force during that time, including some huge three pointers in the second half. Martin scored well inside, and (sophomore) Teresa Bartal and (senior) Sarah Moyer played well in relief of McDugle when she had foul trouble. Our guards had some trouble with their backcourt pressure at times, but again were able to get the ball where it had to be at critical times late in the game to get us the victory.”

The Leafs connected on 25 of 45 shots on the night (55.6 percent) including a torrid six of nine performance from three point land (66.7 percent). Meanwhile, Taylor was held to just a 24 for 68 effort from the floor (35.3 percent) and a horrid zero for 17 effort from shots behind the three-point line. Goshen also held MCC leading scorer Liz Plass to just 14 points on a six for 18 effort from the field, and while Taylor did dominate the boards — the Trojans secured 19 offensive rebounds to Goshen’s five — the team was only able to capitalize for eight second-chance points.

“I felt that three-point shooting was a big key tonight, as was holding Liz Plass, one of the best shooters in the conference, to a six of 18 shooting performance with good individual defense from Lindsay Fisher and some good team perimeter zone work,” Wiktorowski said. “We struggled with our interior defense and rebounding, but made big shots whenever they made a run at us. It wasn't always pretty, but the team had great determination to defend their home floor, and I felt our big crowd was a huge factor down the stretch.”

Goshen will now play in its first-ever MCC Championship contest Monday night, when the team will host Indiana Wesleyan for a 7 p.m. tip-off. (Wesleyan defeated third-seeded Marian College 65-53 in Marion Friday night to get into the championship.) Goshen lost to the Wildcats 49-75 on Jan. 17 in the Roman Gingerich Center, but defeated the team on its own floor on Feb. 11 by a 72-67 score. Regardless of Monday night’s outcome, Wesleyan and Goshen each have strong cases to get into the NAIA National Tournament through at-large berths. Those teams, along with pairings and seedings for all teams in the national tournament, will be announced by the NAIA Tuesday. Check back to this website for the latest information regarding Goshen’s post-season endeavors.

FEB. 24 — Goshen Easily Moves On In MCC Tournament
First-seeded Leafs have no trouble discarding Grace 78-48

Uncontested: Senior Tera Franklin glides in for a layup after a steal in the first half against Grace Tuesday night.

Raining jumpers: Senior DeeDee Martin drops in two of her team-leading 16 points Tuesday.

Goshen, IN — The Goshen women’s basketball team reaped some reward for two months of hard work in the Mid-Central Conference on Tuesday night, hosting and defeating Grace College by a 78-48 score to open MCC Tournament play. Goshen’s MCC regular-season co-championship helped the team gain home court advantage through the tournament as the league’s number one seeded team, which in turn allowed the Leafs to begin post-season play against a struggling Grace team: The Lancers did not win a single MCC contest this season.

True to expectations, Goshen pounced on the undermanned Grace team almost immediately, taking an 8-2 lead just four minutes into the game and never looking back. Goshen used a 27 to six run over the first half’s final 11 minutes to claim a 46-18 lead at the break, as Grace could get no closer than 21 points in the second period.

The 25th-ranked Leafs (24-8, 10-4) shot a cool 25 of 50 (50 percent) from the floor in the win, including a 24 for 28 effort from the free throw line (85.7 percent). Meanwhile, Grace could only knock in 17 of 54 shots on the evening (31.5 percent) and committed 26 turnovers, allowing Goshen to score 32 points off the errors.

“I thought we came out a little tight offensively and missed some easy shots to start the game, but our defense started to take over and we then began to get some layups off turnovers which relaxed us a bit,” said Steve Wiktorowski, Goshen head coach. “We finished the first half strong, and I was especially pleased that we came out with similar intensity in the second half. We played a lot of people, and whenver we went to our bench we kept the intensity and high level of play.”

Senior DeeDee Martin paced Wiktorowski’s team, scoring 16 points and grabbing five rebounds on a seven of 10 performance from the floor. Junior Canice Williams scored 14 points to go with six assists, while classmate Erin McDugle and sophomore Jennifer Rupp each notched 12 points. Junior Kortney Hanson scored six points to go with seven boards and five assists, while senior Sarah Moyer placed nine points and five boards on a three for five effort from the field.

“It was a night where it was very hard to really emphasize individual performances because we played so well on both ends as a unit, and people performed their roles really well whether they were starters or coming off the bench. I was especially proud of Kortney Hanson's effort on the boards, and the combined effort of her and Candice Williams having 11 assists and just 3 turnovers while running the point. I also thought that DeeDee Martin showed a lot of discipline defensively and had only one foul after being in a lot of foul trouble lately.”

With the win, Goshen advances in the tournament and will host the second round Friday night, when fourth-seeded Taylor University visits the Roman Gingerich Center. Taylor defeated fifth seed Bethel 67-55 Tuesday night in Upland in other first-round action. Number two seeded Indiana Wesleyan University squeaked past seventh-seed St. Francis by a 58-56 score in Marion Tuesday night, and will host third-seeded Marian College Friday night (Marian beat sixth-slotted Huntington College 70-64).

Goshen will host Taylor in the Roman Gingerich Center Friday evening, with game time slated for 7 p.m. Cost of admission is $2 for students and $5 for adults to all MCC Tournament contests.

FEB. 21 — Leafs' Streak Snapped At St. Francis
Host Cougars upset 19th-ranked Goshen 83-67 in regular season finale

Junior Candice Willliams Junior Erin McDugle

Fort Wayne, IN — Playing with an emotional edge on its senior day, the University of St. Francis women’s basketball team stunned 19th-ranked Goshen College by an 83-67 score, ending a seven-game winning streak for the Leafs and concluding the regular season in the process. Despite the disappointing loss, Goshen (23-8, 10-4) still finished as the Mid-Central Conference co-champion with Indiana Wesleyan University, as both teams finished with identical 10-4 marks in conference play. It is the first MCC championship in program history for the Leafs, as head coach Steve Wiktorowski tried very hard to focus on the positive following Saturday’s defeat.

“We had won seven conference games in a row, and we can’t let one road loss destroy the confidence we have worked so hard to build this conference season,” Wiktorowski said. “I felt we didn’t have the emotional edge today that we have played with recently, and it showed in our defensive intensity. We didn’t play good team defense in that we weren’t ready to move to the ball or help each other out like we normally do. St. Francis took advantage of that and got the ball inside to their strong post players or swung it to opens shooters, and we were slow to react.”

The host Cougars raced out to a 38-29 halftime lead, and didn’t look back in the second period. St. Francis led by double-figures in all but one possession during the second half, as Goshen could not put together any type of run: St. Francis connected on a three-pointer at the 19:04 mark to push its lead to 12 points, and the Leafs would get no closer than 11 the rest of the way.

St. Francis connected on an incredible 18 of 26 second half shots (69.2 percent) as Goshen struggled to a 10 of 29 second period performance (34.5 percent). The Leafs were outrebounded by a 35-28 margin, and made just seven of 22 tries from three-point land (31.8 percent).

Junior Candice Williams scored a team-high 20 points in the loss for the Leafs, while classmate Erin McDugle chipped in 18 on a seven for 13 shooting effort. Senior DeeDee Martin provided eight points after being saddled with foul trouble for much of the afternoon.

“When we don’t play effective defense our offense usually suffers, and that was again the case today,” Wiktorowski said. “DeeDee was hampered by foul trouble, and much of our offense revolves around her play-making ability. We never seemed to find a consistent offensive flow because we had to play over half the game without her. I thought that Erin McDugle battled very hard, but got very tired at the end, making it difficult to make a run at them. Candice Williams had a good second half and took the ball strong to the basket late in the game. We’ve got to regroup and get ready for the conference tournament.”

Through a tie-breaking system, Goshen was awarded the number one seed in the MCC Tournament, meaning the conference championship will come through the Roman Gingerich Center as long as the Leafs continue to win. The Leafs will open post-season play Tuesday night, when they host eighth-seeded Grace College. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

FEB. 18 — Goshen Assured MCC Crown On Senior Night
Leafs take down Bethel 70-67; clinch at least tie for conference championship

Contorting: Junior Candice Williams twists and turns for two of her 16 points against Bethel Wednesday night in the Roman Gingerich Center.

Handling it: Junior Kortney Hanson blows by Bethel’s Chasity Zellers during first half action.

Goshen, IN — Of all the women’s basketball games that have been played in Goshen’s nine-year old Roman Gingerich Center, one would be hard pressed to find a sweeter, more satisfying contest than this Wednesday’s 70-67 win over Mid-Central Conference foe Bethel College. Not only did the Leafs defeat their rivals in front of a packed crowd on senior night, but the win also guaranteed Goshen a share of the MCC regular-season championship, a feat never before accomplished in school history.

“The funny thing about it is, every year I thought we had a chance to compete for some type of championship, but we’ve had some struggles and some near-misses that have kept us from that type of success,” said senior guard Lindsay Fisher, one of three upperclassmen honored before Wednesday’s game. “This year, everything has come together for us. We’ve worked hard and really became a team this season. It’s nice to be guaranteed at least a share of the MCC (championship), but we’re still going to take it one game at a time, and hopefully our work ethic and success will carry over into the conference tournament.”

Goshen (23-7, 10-3) has already shattered the school record for wins in a season thus far (previous best was 19 in the 1987-88 year), and second-year head coach Steve Wiktorowski has his team playing its best basketball of the season at the perfect time — the Leafs have recorded seven consecutive wins following Wednesday’s championship victory and are currently ranked 19th in the nation — all just six days before the start of the MCC Tournament.

“It was nice to get a win on senior night like this, and even nicer with our fantastic crowd support and to be able to clinch a share of the conference championship,” Wiktorowski said. “It’s now completely up to us on whether or not we share the title, though. We’re going to focus now on St. Francis and try to finish off the regular season in the right way.”

Wiktorowski’s squad was able to finish off the visiting Pilots in the right way, although it wasn’t exactly swift in nature. Bethel trailed for the majority of the first half — Goshen led 14-4 early on — but came back to take a late lead and trailed by just a point, 32-31, at the half. A neck-and-neck second half saw Wiktorowski’s squad build a seven-point lead on two different occasions, only for Bethel to respond and recapture the lead. A scored jumper by Pilot junior Chasity Zellers made the score 60-56, Bethel, with 5:03 to play, and a tight finish was foreshadowed.

After falling behind, Goshen grabbed a 64-62 lead at the 2:06 mark on a huge three-pointer by junior Erin McDugle, a lead the Leafs would not surrender. Fisher scored a falling-down layup to push the Goshen lead to four points with 1:15 to play, and Bethel was then forced to foul down the stretch. Even with the Leafs knocking in their last four free throw attempts, Bethel still had a chance to tie the game with a second remaining on the clock. Bethel sophomore Dana Roberts’ three-point attempt at the buzzer caromed off the back iron, however, and Goshen escaped with both the win and a share of the MCC title in hand.

“We hit some big shots in the final stretch, and Erin McDugle’s three was a big lift for us emotionally,” Wiktorowski said. “We rebounded and we hit our free throws in the last couple of minutes, but we did not execute well on either end over the last 30 seconds. That made the game closer than I wanted it, but we found a way to win a game with lots of pressure for both teams.”

The game featured five ties and nine lead changes, with Goshen getting the better end in shooting percentage (23 of 51, 45.1 percent to Bethel’s 25 of 66, 37.9 percent), rebounds (36 to Bethel’s 33) and free throw efficiency (20 of 26, 76.9 percent to Bethel’s eight of 13, 61.5 percent). The Leafs also were much more choosy from behind the arc, knocking in four of 12 attempts from deep (33.3 percent) to Bethel’s fire-at-will nine of 35 effort (25.7 percent).

McDugle finished with a game-high 22 points and 13 rebounds, while classmate Candice Williams dropped 16 points on a 10 for 10 effort from the foul line. Fisher finished with 10 points and five boards, while senior DeeDee Martin scored nine and corralled five rebounds before allegedly fouling out. Goshen’s other senior, center Sarah Moyer, scored two points and grabbed two rebounds in 11 minutes of work.

“We again had a lot of people fulfill their roles,” Wiktorowski said. “(Junior) Kortney Hanson did a solid job handling the ball against their pressure, while (sophomore) Teresa Bartal and Sarah Moyer both did good jobs in relief roles when we had players in foul trouble. Bethel is very difficult to guard because they can both penetrate and shoot, and it’s hard to cover both, but we did a good enough job to put ourselves in a position to win. Our crowd was fantastic and helped give us the will to win a huge game that we could have just as easily lost.”

Goshen will next travel to the University of St. Francis to conclude regular-season play before hosting the first round of the MCC Tournament next Tuesday night. Opponent and game time is yet to be determined.

FEB. 14 — Leafs Take "Free" Game From Marian, 77-59
Goshen attempts school-record 53 free throws in win; takes first place in MCC

Common sight: Senior Lindsay Fisher tries one of her team’s incredible 53 free throws Saturday afternoon against Marian.

Fouled going in: Sophomore Jennifer Rupp attacks the basket en route to getting fouled in second half action Saturday. Rupp went to the line a team-high 14 times.

Goshen, IN — Positive trends continue to snowball for the 25th-ranked Goshen College women’s basketball team, as the squad knocked off visiting Marian College by a 77-59 score Saturday afternoon in the Roman Gingerich Center. The win, coupled with Indiana Wesleyan University’s 85-76 loss to Taylor University, gives the Leafs sole possession of first place in the Mid-Central Conference with just two regular-season games left to play.

Saturday’s win over the Knights was not nearly as pretty as it was impressive, however, as a total 63 personal fouls were called in the game and a total 80 free throws attempted between the two teams. Goshen recorded 53 of those tries — a new school record — and knocked in 42 freebies (79.2 percent) to account for over half its points in a game that couldn’t even get started on time: Marian’s bus had mechanical problems en route to the game, forcing the event to start 20 minutes later than scheduled.

“It was a difficult game to maintain focus and play with consistent emotion,” said Steve Wiktorowski, Goshen head coach. “Both teams got into foul trouble and we lost our momentum a little and struggled the rest of the day to play consistently.”

Goshen (22-7, 9-3) had no problems racing out to a fast start, though, and captured a 13-1 lead just six minutes into the contest. Marian battled its way back to cut the lead to two points with 8:24 remaining in the first half, but an 11 to one Leaf run over the next five and a half minutes pushed the score to 29-17. Wiktorowski’s squad took a 35-26 lead into the locker room at halftime, and never looked back: Marian cut the lead to six points early in the second period, but Goshen led by 16 points with 8:31 to play. The Knights would get no closer than 12 points at any time for the rest of the contest.

Goshen knocked in just 16 field goals in the game, and had only a slight advantage in rebounds (34 to 31) but gave up eight more offensive boards (15 to seven) to Marian. The Knights were held to just a 20 of 55 effort from the field (36.4 percent) for the game, and only converted two of 18 from three-point range (11.1 percent). Marian converted 17 of 27 free throw attempts (63 percent) for the game, and had four players foul out while none scored in double figures.

“A big key was we were able to play pretty good defense the majority of the time and rebounded pretty well, although we gave up too many offensive rebounds,” Wiktorowski said. “We also did an unbelievable job of getting fouled and knocking down our free throws.”

The Leafs were led in scoring by junior Erin McDugle, who tallied 19 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore Jennifer Rupp scored nine of her 13 points from the foul line, while junior Candice Williams tallied 12. Senior DeeDee Martin grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds to go with 11 points, while senior Lindsay Fisher scored 10 points, half of which came from the charity stripe.

“This was one of the best jobs of getting offensive production from our whole team and having balanced scoring that we’ve had all year,” Wiktorowski said. “Everyone contributed today as either starters or role players coming off the bench. Particularly outstanding was Jennifer Rupp’s play off the bench. She really broke down their defense and got to the free throw line a lot, as did DeeDee Martin and Erin McDugle. Martin was a workhorse on the boards, and Lindsay Fisher did a great job of holding Kristi Koselke, one of the best players in the conference, to only eight points.”

Goshen will now take its six-game winning streak into Wednesday night’s game with rival Bethel College, and will honor its upperclassmen with senior night ceremonies prior to the tip off. Game time is set for 7 p.m. in the Roman Gingerich Center.

FEB. 11 — Goshen Takes Share Of MCC Lead With Win
25th-ranked Leafs stun 11th-ranked Indiana Wesleyan to shake up conference

Marion, IN — In the biggest game of the season to date, the Goshen women’s basketball team came up with its best effort.

Needing a win at 11th-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University to have any chance at a Mid-Central Conference championship, the 25th-ranked Leafs responded, coming back from an 18-point deficit to take out the league-leading Wildcats on their own floor by a count of 72-67 Wednesday night. Goshen held Wesleyan to just 23 second-half points en route to a dramatic, come-from-behind victory, a win that left head coach Steve Wiktorowski emotional following it.

“I know we had a lot of support here tonight, and I also know that there are a lot of people listening right now,” Wiktorowski told Goshen College radio following the game. “I’m so proud of these girls, and it’s my hope that we’ll have a big crowd at home Saturday to help support them. It’s really exciting what this team is doing, and I’m so glad to be a part of it.”

Goshen’s (21-7, 8-3) win over Wesleyan places the two squads in a dead heat for first place honors in the MCC, with both teams now having three conference losses. Wednesday at Luckey Gymnasium, Goshen had to overcome both a 44-31 halftime deficit and the knowledge of the two teams’ previous meeting — a 75-49 Wesleyan win on Jan. 17 at the Roman Gingerich Center. Neither factor seemed to matter, however, as the Leafs slowly chipped away at the Wildcat lead. Wesleyan led by just seven points at the 7:09 mark in the second period and just four points with 4:55 to play, setting the stage for Goshen to complete its marvelous comeback.

With 1:44 on the clock, Wesleyan led by a 65-63 score. It would be the home team’s final lead of the game, though, as senior Lindsay Fisher rang up her third three-point field goal of the second half on the Leafs’ ensuing possession. Goshen would force a pair of steals and drained its last four free throws to ice the game, turning the tables in the MCC upside down in the process.

“We were down 13 points at the half because we were getting overextended defensively and they were penetrating to the basket too much,” Wiktorowski said. “We also didn't get our scorers open and had too many turnovers. The second half we played much better team defense, and did a much better job of getting the ball to our three main scorers. We hit a couple of big threes and free throws down the stretch, and didn't allow them to get very many good looks at the basket or second shots at the finish. We didn't lose our confidence when we got down in the first half, especially considering it was such a big game and we were on their home floor.”

Goshen was able to keep its shooting clip at an extremely nice pace throughout the game, finishing with a 25 for 40 performance (62.5 percent) from the floor including knocking in five of seven from three-point land (71.4 percent). Meanwhile, Wesleyan found the going much more difficult in the game’s second 20 minutes, shooting six for 22 from the floor in the second half (27.3 percent) after knocking in 18 of 28 shots (64.3 percent) in the first period. The Wildcats also needed 13 more attempts from three-point land just to make two more than Goshen (seven for 20, 35 percent).

Juniors Erin McDugle and Candice Williams led the Leafs’ scoring drive with 19 points apiece. McDugle also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Fisher buried three of four three-point tries for 15 points, all coming in the second half. Junior point-guard Kortney Hanson ran the show well for Wiktorowski’s team, dishing out five assists and grabbing three rebounds in 33 minutes of work.

“Erin McDugle was very forceful on offense the second half and did a good job on the boards,” Wiktorowsk said. “Candice Williams got us off to a good start in scoring our first six points, and then played well despite foul trouble the second half. (Sophomore) Jennifer Rupp did a very good job substituting for Williams, and (senior) Sarah Moyer and (freshman) Ashley Hegerfeld also gave us good minutes off the bench. Lindsay Fisher hit three big second-half three pointers that seemed to turn the momentum in our favor and gave us the confidence we needed to complete the comeback.”

Goshen will now look to hold on to its newfound first-place standing in MCC play, when the team will host Marian College on Saturday. Game time is set for 1 p.m.

FEB. 7 — Leafs Hold Off 19th-Ranked Trojans, 73-68
Team and McDugle each set school records; Goshen holds second place in MCC

Junior Erin McDugle

Upland, IN — If winning a Mid-Central Conference game on the road is an accomplishment, then the Goshen College women’s basketball team completely outdid itself Saturday at Taylor University. Not only did the squad knock off the 19th-ranked Trojans by a 73-68 score, but it also won its 20th game of the year, the first time in school history a Leaf team has garnered that amount in a single season. The Leafs also witnessed junior Erin McDugle — who scored a game-high 28 points — become the school’s all-time leading scorer in single-season history, capturing her 550th point of the year to replace Margene Murdent’s old record of 545 season points set in 2001-2002. Also with the win, Goshen protected its second place stronghold in the Mid-Central Conference with a Wednesday night showdown with league-leading Indiana Wesleyan looming.

Not bad for a day’s work.

“More than anything today, I was just impressed with the confidence we showed on the road,” said Steve Wiktorowski, Goshen head coach. “We struggled offensively at times and Taylor hit some big shots, but we maintained our composure, especially at the free throw line, and made enough plays to win against a team that is very difficult to play against on the road.”

Goshen’s biggest asset came at the charity stripe, where the team knocked in a ridiculous 26 of 27 attempts (96.3 percent) to hold off any type of Trojan run late. The Leafs (20-7, 7-3) could only knock in three of 12 from three-point land (25 percent) as Taylor connected on seven of 16 (43.8 percent). Despite committing 24 turnovers and giving up a 14 to seven advantage in offensive rebounds to Taylor, the Leafs were far more efficient in shooting the basketball than the host team — Goshen connected on 22 of 40 shots on the night (55 percent), while Taylor got off 21 more attempts but could only hit five more baskets (27 for 61, 44.3 percent).

“We started out slowly and had some trouble getting into our offense the first half,” said Wiktorowski, who watched his team give up a 40-38 halftime deficit. “We came back and began to score better and were more difficult to score against in the second half, however. We had too many turnovers and gave up too many offensive rebounds, and luckily our shooting from both the field and the free throw line saved us.”

Senior Lindsay Fisher brought a much better defensive effort in the game’s second half, holding MCC scoring-leader Liz Plass to just five second-half points after 17 in the first. McDugle led the Leafs in scoring with an 11 for 11 effort from the free throw line. Junior Candice Williams scored 13 and senior DeeDee Martin knocked in 12. Junior Kortney Hanson tallied 10 points from her point guard position, grabbing a team-high seven boards. McDugle grabbed seven rebounds as well.

“Erin McDugle was difficult to defend inside today and played good post defense in the second half,” Wiktorowski said. “Kortney Hanson made several key shots for us in the second half, and Lindsay Fisher did a much better job of guarding Plass in the second half. If anything, we should continue to gain confidence with a win like this on the road.”

Goshen will need a sureness about itself when they travel to 12th-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University on Wednesday. A win would push the Leafs into a tie for first place in the conference. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

FEB. 4 — Strong Second Half Takes Out Huntington
Goshen clicks on all cylinders in second period; beats Foresters 78-58

Stroking downtown: Senior Lindsay Fisher knocks down one of her two second-half three-pointers against Huntington Wednesday night.

Unstoppable: Junior Erin McDugle converts on one of her 11 field goals in second half action. McDugle finished with a game-high 27 points.

Goshen, IN — Taking a six-point lead into the locker room at halftime and never trailing visiting Huntington College in the first half was commendable for the Goshen women’s basketball team Wednesday night, but as it turned out, the squad was just warming up. Goshen used deft shooting and an all-out attack on the offensive glass in the second period, pummeling the visiting Foresters by a 47-33 count in the stanza to take a 78-58 Mid-Central Conference decision in the Roman Gingerich Center.

“We came out tonight and played one of our better halves of the year in the second half,” said Goshen head coach Steve Wiktorowski. “We moved the ball and recognized things well, and then took advantage of what we created by shooting the ball extremely well.”

Goshen (19-7. 6-3) knocked in a blistering 18 of 27 total field goal attempts (66.7 percent) in the second half, collecting six of its nine offensive rebounds in the period as well. After taking a 31-25 lead at the half, Goshen used a 10 to nothing run and a 13 to nothing run in the second half to take a 76-48 lead with just under three minutes remaining in the game. The Leafs connected on six of 10 attempts from three-point land (60 percent) in the game’s final 20 minutes, and held Huntington to just a two of six effort (33.3 percent) from deep.

“Defensively, we did a better job in the second half of defending their post and keeping them off the boards,” Wiktorowski said. “We also keyed in on their point guard, and somewhat kept her from scoring and controlling the flow of their offense as much as usual. We played with a lot of confidence, especially in the second half.”

Goshen scored the first two points of the game and never let Huntington grab a lead, although the Foresters cut the deficit to a single point on four different occasions in the first period. A five to nothing run to end the half gave the Leafs a six-point advantage, however, and the Foreesters would not get closer than four points the remainder of the way. That spread was short-lived, though, as Goshen used a 15 to two run to push its lead to 17 points with 11:48 to play.

Junior Erin McDugle had a terrific night scoring for the Leafs, notching a game-high 27 points on 11 for 14 shooting from the field, including a perfect two for two effort from three-point land and scoring 20 in the second half. Classmate Candice Williams tallied 17 points on six of nine shooting, while senior Lindsay Fisher scored 11 points. Senior DeeDee Martin was also extremely productive, grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds while dishing out five assists and scoring four points. Sophomore Jennifer Rupp provided nine points on a three for four effort from the floor.

“Erin McDugle played very well, especially moving without the ball,” Wiktorowski said. “Candice Williams and Lindsay Fisher gave us good outside shooting as they were a combined six of 10 from the three. DeeDee Martin played a great floor game and her hustle was very infectious. Jennifer Rupp scored well and (senior) Sarah Moyer battled on the boards off the bench.”

Goshen will next travel to 19th-ranked Taylor, for a very important MCC showdown Saturday afternoon. Goshen is a game ahead of Taylor in the MCC standings, holding second place honors while the Trojans are in a three-way tie for third place. Game time is set for 1 p.m. in Upland.

JAN. 31 — Leafs Hammer Hapless Grace, 63-42
Goshen never trails in Winona Lake, pushes conference record to 5-3

Senior Lindsay Fisher Junior Candice Willliams

Winona Lake, IN — With loads pressure on the Goshen College women’s basketball team to win Saturday, the Leafs responded in strong fashion, defeating host Grace College by a 63-42 score. Goshen was expected to defeat the Lancers — a team winless in Mid-Central Conference play — and needed the win to stay in second place in the league. The Leafs scored the game’s first basket and never trailed, slowly building a 19-point advantage in the first half and never looking back.

“I thought we started the game with good intensity in both halves,” said Steve Wiktorowski, Goshen head coach “Our defense was solid throughout the game as we maintained our focus on the defensive game plan for 40 minutes. Our press was either effective in getting some turnovers or making them work to get into their offense without allowing easy baskets. When some people got into foul trouble in the first half, we had several people come off the bench and help us maintain the point spread. We moved the ball well and found open shooters when they doubled the post, and shot the ball well.”

Goshen (18-7, 5-3) connected on 24 of 50 shots on the afternoon (48 percent), including an impressive eight for 17 mark (47.1 percent) from three-point land. Meanwhile, Grace could only convert on 15 of 50 attempts (30 percent), going four for 12 from deep (33.3 percent). The Lancers committed 28 turnovers on the night, while having a slight edge in rebounding (34 to 33).

The Leafs were able to push their lead to as many as 25 points in the second half, as Grace could get no closer than 17 points in the final 20 minutes. Senior Lindsay Fisher and junior Candice Williams led the Leaf charge, each scoring 14 points. Senior DeeDee Martin chipped in 11 points, while junior Erin McDugle scored eight to go with eight rebounds.

“I thought Candice Williams and Lindsay Fisher gave us good scoring from the guard positions, especially hitting a combined five of 10 three pointers while also scoring inside,” Wiktorowski said. “(Sophomore) Jennifer Rupp and DeeDee Martin both played good all around floor games. (Sophomore) Teresa Bartal came off the bench and did a good job defensively in playing her most minutes of the season, something I think she can do more of the rest of the year. Erin McDugle did an outstanding job of passing out of double teams and creating offense for others while also getting eight boards.”

Goshen will look to continue its strong play Wednesday night, when the team will host Huntington College. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

JAN. 28 — Goshen Bumps Off St. Francis With Clutch Play
Fisher knocks in three-ball with :32 remaining to seal 59-55 win

Hard to guard: Sophomore Erin McDugle powers in two of her game-high 26 points against St. Francis in the first half of play Wednesday night.

Her night: Senior Lindsay Fisher buried the game-winning three-point basket against St. Francis Wednesday night.

Goshen, IN — Following the past two Mid-Central Conference games, Goshen head coach Steve Wiktorowski talked about the importance of making plays late in order to have a chance to win against good teams. For the past two games, the Leafs’ opponents — Marian and Bethel — made more plays down the stretch to secure wins against Wiktorowski’s squad.

Chalk up that streak as concluded.

Wednesday night in the Roman Gingerich Center, it was Goshen that made more plays late in a MCC contest with the University of St. Francis, defeating the Cougars by a 59-55 score in a neck-and-neck game that featured eight ties and 13 lead changes. Senior Lindsay Fisher drained a huge three-pointer with just :32 remaining to break a 55-55 tie, and St. Francis could not convert on its ensuing possession. Sophomore Erin McDugle made one of two free throws after the Cougars were forced to foul, and St. Francis’ moot three-point prayer at the buzzer fell harmlessly short.

“We have been in similar positions in our last two games but did not execute offensively or play defense well enough at the end to gain a victory on the road,” Wiktorowski said. “Tonight we defended our home floor with a little more toughness at the end of the game, and fortunately were able to pull out a win against a talented team.”

The win wouldn’t come easy for Goshen (17-7, 4-3) as St. Francis took its first lead at the 11:44 mark in the first period and wouldn’t relinquish the advantage until the second half. The Cougars used strong inside play and varying defenses to take a 31-29 advantage into the locker room, and the stage was set for a classic MCC showdown.

In the second period, it was Goshen that came alive, recapturing the lead with a quick five to nothing run to put the team up 34-31. From that point, the lead would be exchanged 11 times with neither team leading by more than five points at any time. With just over a minute to play in regulation, Goshen led 55-53. That’s when St. Francis’ Nickole Behnke knocked in a big jump shot to tie the game. After running patient offense, Fisher was able to come off a screen and drain a three from the top of the key, sealing the win and keeping her team in the mix at the top of the MCC — following Wednesday night’s games, five MCC teams possess a 4-3 conference record heading into to second-round play this Saturday.

“I thought both teams played a variety of defenses and played them well, so it was difficult to score and both teams were in a position to win at the end,” Wiktorowski said. “Their post players gave us a lot of trouble the first half, but we defended them a little better the second. I thought we especially did a good job against their shooters playing a lot of zone defenses and contesting their three-point shots. Nickole Behnke hit a big shot to tie it and Lindsay Fisher hit an even bigger shot to decide the game.”

For the night, Goshen connected on 45.5 percent of its shots (20 of 44) while holding St. Francis to just a 37.7 percent effort (20 of 53). The Cougars also shot a dismal four of 19 from three-point land, including going zero for nine in the second half. Goshen connected on five of 10 attempts from deep.

Fisher finished the night with eight points on three of six shooting, with none bigger than her three-pointer late. Junior Erin McDugle tallied a game-high 26 points on a 10 for 14 shooting effort. Junior Candice Williams scored 12 points and handed out five assists on the night.

“I thought Erin McDugle played very strong inside and converted some tough baskets,” Wiktorowski said. “We did a good job getting her the ball, especially (senior) DeeDee Martin making some great passes to her. Candice Williams did a good job of giving us some balanced scoring both inside and out, and distributed the ball well. We got Lindsay Fisher more looks the second half, and she wanted the big shot at the end. We now head into the second half of conference play with a winning record in the MCC, and now we must carry over this effort, especially the defense, onto the road at Grace to open the second half of conference play.”

Goshen will face Grace Saturday. Game time is set for 1 p.m. in Winona Lake.

JAN. 24 — Leafs Fail To Make Plays Late At #21 Bethel
Goshen holds lead for majority of contest; drops 66-71 decision on road

Junior Candice Williams Junior Erin McDugle

Mishawaka, IN — For the 22nd-ranked Goshen College women’s basketball team on Saturday, the game was just six minutes too long. Facing 21st-ranked Bethel College in the Wiekamp Center, the Leafs controlled all but the contest’s final minutes, dropping a 66-71 decision to the host Pilots.

Goshen (16-7, 3-3) held a 60-59 lead over Bethel with just 6:02 to play in the game, but the Pilots were able to connect on its final three field goal attempts while Goshen missed its final three shots to provide the difference. The Leafs led for the entire first half of play, and continued that lead through the 8:29 mark in the second period. Goshen regained its lead at the six-minute mark, but it was Bethel that came up with the plays down the stretch.

“This was a disappointing road loss in that I felt we were usually either in control of the game or at least playing even with Bethel for at least the first 35 minutes of the game and had put ourselves in a position to win,” said Steve Wiktorowski, Goshen head coach. “However, I felt that Bethel was a little tougher at the end of the game in handling the ball, getting loose balls or rebounds and especially executing and hitting shots at the end of the game. Going into this game there was a six-way tie for the conference lead, and the teams that will have the best chance to win the conference will be the ones who can make the necessary plays in a couple key road games like this was for us. Bethel showed the confidence necessary to step up and make the difference by making plays at the end and defended their home court when they had to. We now need to refocus and try to do the same against St. Francis.”

Goshen was able to use sturdy defense and a 15 for 31 (48.4 percent) effort from the floor in the first half to take a 40-35 lead at halftime. The Leafs held Bethel to just a 13 for 40 (32.5 percent) effort in that period, though a Pilot three-pointer at the half’s final buzzer helped generate some momentum for the host team. Goshen continued its solid shooting in the second half (nine for 19, 47.4 percent) but could not come up with the big play late. The teams exchanged the lead three times and tied the score five times in the game’s final 10 minutes, setting an equal opportunity for either team to pull the game out.

Goshen was led by junior Candice Williams’ 19 points. Classmate Erin McDugle chipped in 18 points on seven of eight shooting. She also grabbed seven rebounds. Senior Lindsay Fisher notched 10 points, while classmate DeeDee Martin scored nine and grabbed a game-high 12 boards. Sophomore Jennifer Rupp tallied eight points in going six for six from the free throw line.

For the game, Bethel was able to outrebound the Leafs by a 39 to 34 margin, with the largest difference coming at the offensive end (19 offensive boards to Goshen’s six). Goshen also committed six more turnovers than the Pilots (19 to 13), but helped equal that at the free throw line (Goshen: 16 for 18, Bethel: nine for 11).

“Erin McDugle was a real force inside offensively in the first half but we didn't get her enough shots in the second,” Wiktorowski said. “Candice Williams has shown more of a scoring mentality the last two games and that will be important as we head into the second half of conference play next week. DeeDee Martin had a strong floor game and battled hard on the boards. Jennifer Rupp again gave us strong minutes off the bench during key stretches of the game. For the most part we did a pretty good job controlling their three-point shooters in holding them to 10 of 35 (28.6 percent) shooting. I thought the fact they were able to get 22 more shots, often the result of long rebounds off missed three pointers, was an important factor in a close game like this.”

Goshen will return to the Roman Gingerich Center for an important Mid-Central Conference clash Wednesday night, when the team will host the University of St. Francis. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

JAN. 21 — Marian Slowly Pulls Away From Goshen In Indy
Knights make more plays at game's end to take 73-62 decision

Junior Candice Williams Senior DeeDee Martin

Indianapolis, IN — After a hotly contested 35 minutes that saw 14 lead changes and eight ties between the visiting Goshen College Maple Leafs and host Marian College Knights Wednesday evening, it was Marian that came up with the biggest plays late, taking a 73-62 decision in a game that was much closer than the final score suggested. Goshen trailed by just a point with 3:41 remaining, but a huge Marian three-pointer on the ensuing possession made the score 61-57, Knights, with 3:22 to play. The Leafs pulled within two points with two and a half minutes to play, but could get no closer for the remainder of the game. Marian closed the event with a 10 to three run — including six free throws made — to pull away.

Marian’s win — along with the results of other Mid-Central Conference games Wednesday night — created a six-way tie for first place in the league heading into Saturday. Goshen, at 3-2 in the league, is one of those teams in the mix.

“I was pretty happy with the way we competed after our poor performance on Saturday against Indiana Wesleyan,” said Steve Wiktorowski, Goshen head coach. “Tonight was a case of two teams battling hard throughout the entire game, and Marian made more plays than we did down the stretch to win.”

Goshen (16-6, 3-2) trailed 33-34 at the half, but jumped on top by making the first field goal of the second period. Marian would pull ahead for good at the 17:42 mark, however, as the Knights allowed Goshen to get within a point on seven different occasions but never relinquished the lead. Marian finished the game shooting 24 of 54 from the field (44.4 percent) but held the biggest advantage in rebounds (35) and three-point shooting (eight for 25, 32 percent). Goshen finished the night shooting 19 of 45 from the floor (42.2 percent) and corralled 28 boards. The Leafs also made just three three-pointers, but made up the difference from the foul line (21 of 28, 75 percent).

“Defensively we did a fairly good job on their perimeter shooters, and we put ourselves in a position to win,” Wiktorowsk said. “We just couldn’t come up with a few more plays when we needed them.”

Junior Candice Williams led the way in scoring for Goshen, knocking in 18 points on a five for eight shooting effort before fouling out. Senior DeeDee martin scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds, as did junior Erin McDugle.

“I thought that (senior) Lindsay Fisher did an excellent job defensively, and (junior) Kortney Hanson had a terrific floor game with only one turnover,” Wiktorowski said. “Candice played with a great effort, and her fouling out hurt us late. Overall, it was an improved effort, and we’ll need to build on this for Saturday.”

Goshen will travel to 21st-ranked Bethel then, a team that also is 3-2 in the MCC. Game time is set for 1 p.m.

JAN. 17 — #12 Wesleyan Buries Leafs From Deep
Wildcats knock in 15 threes in 75-49 win; McDugle scores 1,000th point

No foul: Junior Kortney Hanson absorbs the bump from a Wesleyan defender in the second half of Saturday’s game.

Bittersweet congrats: Goshen head coach Steve Wiktorowski honors junior Erin McDugle after she eclipsed the 1,000th point of her career in Saturday’s loss to Indiana Wesleyan.

Goshen, IN — Goshen’s perfect record in the Mid-Central Conference came to a screeching halt Saturday afternoon, as the Leafs dropped a 49-75 decision to 12th-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University. The visiting Wildcats used the three-point arc to its fullest capacity, dropping in a ridiculous 15 of 24 treys (62.5 percent) in capturing a share of MCC first-place honors with Goshen (16-5, 3-1).

“Today’s game was basically decided at the three-point line,” said Goshen head coach Steve Wiktorowski. “I think Wesleyan knew that we work hard to take away the lane from people so they relied on ball movement and outside shooting to try and counter that. They lived on the outside shot today, and were very successful at it.”

As Wesleyan heated up from deep, Goshen couldn’t get things going. The Leafs finished the game shooting just one of nine from beyond the arc (11.1 percent) and connected on just 19 field goals for the game (19 for 41, 46.3 percent), leading to a quick lead for the Wildcats. Wiktorowski’s squad never had much of a chance to make a contest of it, as the Leafs trailed 42-24 at the intermission.

“We didn't adjust very well to their emphasis on perimeter shooting until the game was out of reach,” Wiktorowski said. “On the other end, they were very physical and aggressive in their guard play which we also didn't handle very well, and they took us out of many of the things we wanted to do offensively.”

Both teams had troubles running their offenses throughout much of the game, although Wesleyan was much more efficient when they did get shots — Goshen finished with 24 turnovers on the afternoon, as Wesleyan committed 23 giveaways.

Goshen was led in scoring by junior Erin McDugle, who finished with 16 points on a seven for 12 effort from the floor. With that total, McDugle eclipsed the 1,000th career point mark, making her the ninth player in program history to reach that milestone. Her achievement comes on the heels of her being named the MCC’s Player Of The Week for Jan. 5-10, where she averaged 23 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in wins over Grace and Huntington. It was the second time McDugle was awarded with league player of the week honors this season.

Senior DeeDee Martin was the only other Leaf player to score in double-figures Saturday, knocking in 15 points to go with five assists.

“It’s a great honor for Erin to reach the 1,000-point plateau, but I know she was disappointed in the game it came in,” Wiktorowski said. “We were very aware of the importance of this home game, and were prepared to play, perhaps too much so. We never really looked relaxed and confident, and played somewhat not to lose. They were very confident and loose playing on the road and were the clear aggressors. However, we can't let this hurt the overall confidence we’ve worked to build over the course of the season. We have to adjust to physical play on the perimeter this week in practice, and then go out and play with aggression ourselves as we go on the road for two games this week.”

Goshen will travel to Indianapolis Wednesday night to take on Marian. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

JAN. 14 — Leafs Maintain Poise; Knock Off #21 Taylor
Goshen withstands Trojan run, make key plays in 75-73 win

Goshen, IN — The only disappointing aspect of Wednesday night’s Mid-Central Conference matchup between Taylor University and Goshen College was that one team had to lose.

Neither deserved to.

In arguably the most competitive, hard-fought MCC game of the season, the host Leafs downed 21st-ranked Taylor by a 75-73 score, sealed by sophomore Jennifer Rupp’s two free throws with just 19 seconds remaining on the clock. The win pushed Goshen to 3-0 in MCC play, giving the Leafs sole possession of first place in the league. In a game that had 14 lead changes and 17 ties, it was Goshen that scored the event’s final two points — good enough for the game-deciding difference.

“This was a very even and hard fought battle against a very talented team that has been ranked in the nation’s top 20 for most of the year,” said Steve Wiktorowski, Goshen head coach. “It was important to win this game at home because the conference is so even that you have to defend your home floor to have a chance at it all.”

After an evenly matched first period that saw neither team lead by more than six points, Goshen (16-4, 3-0) took a slight 37-36 advantage into halftime. The second half was a period of runs, however, as the Leafs built an 11-point lead six minutes into the half. A 12 to two Taylor run just two minutes later made the score 58-56, Taylor, and an amazing finish was set up. The two squads battled back and forth for the game’s final seven minutes, with neither team leading by more than five points. The Trojans were able to tie the game at 73 with just 1:09 remaining after MCC scoring leader Liz Plass buried an incredible three-pointer from the top of the key. After a pair of steals from both teams, Rupp was able to corral a huge offensive rebound after a Candice Williams (junior) miss. She was fouled on the rebound, with just 19 seconds remaining on the clock.

After a Taylor timeout, Rupp calmly drained both free throws, keeping her perfect shooting night (three for three from the field, four for four from the line) in tact. The Trojans were able to get off three shots in the game’s final nine seconds, but could not convert.

Rupp finished with 10 points on the night, also grabbing four rebounds. Junior Erin McDugle paced the Leafs with 21 points and 15 boards, while Williams senior DeeDee Martin poured in 10 points as well. Senior Lindsay Fisher came up big for Goshen down the stretch, scoring nine of her 16 points on three three-point field goals in the game’s final six minutes.

“I thought we played good perimeter defense and made the leading scorer in the conference, Liz Plass, earn her points (20 on the game),” Wiktorowski said. “She hit an incredible three to tie the game. Neither team shot the ball well from the perimeter, which was a tribute to both teams just going at each other, and we were fortunate to come out on top.”

Goshen connected on 47.4 percent of its tries (27 for 57) while Taylor was good on only 38.3 percent of its attempts (26 of 67). Neither team scored well from three-point land (Goshen: three of 11, 27.3 percent; Taylor: five of 19, 26.3 percent) but both defended extremely hard. Goshen finished the night with 15 turnovers, as Taylor committed 13 giveaways. Goshen outrebounded Taylor by a 35 to 31 count, as both teams grabbed 11 on their offensive ends. Wiktorowski’s squad was slightly better at the free throw line, knocking in 18 of 21 compared to Taylor’s 16 of 22 effort.

“I thought there were three keys for our win,” Wiktorowski said. “One was our rebounding. They are big and aggressive on the boards and Erin McDugle's 15 total rebounds and our 11 offensive rebounds were very important. Another key was our bench. (Senior) Sarah Moyer, Jennifer Rupp, and (freshman) Ashley Hegerfeld all played quality minutes at key junctures of the game when our starters were either spent or in foul trouble. Lastly was our free throw shooting. Hitting 18 of 21 and Jenn Rupp’s final two to win were important parts of our offense.”

Goshen can only hope it can sustain such a high level of intensity this Saturday, as the team will host 12th-ranked Indiana Wesleyan in looking to hold on to its first-place stronghold in the MCC. Game time is set for 1 p.m.

JAN. 10 — Goshen Holds On At Huntington, 69-67
Team's 13-point lead falters; Leafs make plays down stretch

Senior DeeDee Martin

Huntington, IN — Staying undefeated in Mid-Central Conference play is never easy, and that was exactly the case for the Goshen College women’s basketball team Saturday at Huntington. The Leafs held on for a 69-67 win over the host Foresters, keeping a firm grip on early first-place status in the league.

“I was pleased with our first road game in the conference,” said Steve Wiktorowski, Goshen head coach. “Huntington is a good team with a strong inside game, and any time you can win on the road in this tough conference you have to be very pleased.”

It looked as if things might go Goshen’s way early on, as the team settled into a five-point lead which it kept throughout the first period. Huntington made a late run in the opening stanza to tie the game at 31 at the half, but again the Leafs rallied. Goshen (15-4, 2-0) would create a 13-point gap with six minutes to play in the game, and threatened to blow it wide open. Huntington was persistent, though, and crept back within two points down the stretch. Wiktorowski’s squad converted free throws (15 of 20 on the afternoon), defended solidly and hit big shots to secure the win down the stretch, however, keeping its MCC mark perfect at 2-0.

“We played well most of the second half and had the lead with about six minutes remaining, but we then lost our aggressive mentality of play and allowed them to make a big run at us at the end of the game,” Wiktorowski said. “We toughened it out the final two minutes with some good defense, a big jump shot by (senior) Lindsay Fisher, and some critical free throws by (senior) DeeDee Martin to preserve the win.”

Martin’s five for five effort at the charity stripe was almost as impressive as her 12 rebounds, a game and career high. She also dished out seven assists in scoring nine points. Junior Erin McDugle again spearheaded Goshen’s offensive effort, notching 23 points in the win. Fisher scored 14 on a five of nine effort from the field, while junior Candice Williams tallied 12 points in limited minutes. The Leafs converted on 52.2 percent of its shots on the afternoon (24 for 46) and knocked in six of 14 from three-point land (42.9 percent). The team held Huntington to just a 14 of 33 performance in the second half (42. 4 percent), including a four for 20 effort from three-point land. Goshen also turned the ball over just 11 times, seven below its season average.

“I thought we shot the ball pretty well and took pretty good care of it overall on the road,” Wiktorowski said. “(Sophomore) Jennifer Rupp (six points, four rebounds) played a very strong game starting for Candice Williams who wasn't feeling well, and then Candice came in and played with a lot of toughness off the bench. (Freshman) Ashley Hegerfeld (three points) also played strong minutes off the bench. Erin McDugle and Lindsay Fisher gave us their usual reliable scoring, and DeeDee Martin played a really strong floor game with her defense, rebounding and passing.”

The task does not get any easier for the Leafs this week, however, as the team will host 18th-ranked Taylor University Wednesday. Game time is slated for a 7 p.m. tip.

JAN. 7 — Leafs Handle Grace In MCC Opener, 80-54
Goshen never trails Lancers in solid 40 minutes of play

Goshen, IN — In an impressive display of dominance, the Goshen women’s basketball team opened the 2004 Mid-Central Conference season with an 80-54 win over rival Grace College Wednesday night, pushing its record to 14-4 on the season and starting off conference play on the right foot. Goshen never trailed the Lancers and shot 72.7 percent from the field in the first half, making a comeback a mighty chore for the visitors. The Leafs took a commanding 20-point lead with 4:41 to play in the first period, but a nine to two Grace run cut the lead to 39-26 with just a minute and a half remaining. Goshen was able to score five of the half’s last seven points, however, and took a 44-28 lead into the locker room.

“I thought we came out aggressively on defense to take control of the game early, but did not finish the first half strong,” said Steve Wiktorowski, Goshen head coach. “We had talked a lot about defending our home court with strong inside defense in our first conference game, but we started to get away from that. We refocused at halftime and came out to really take control with our defense in the