Grand Rapids, MI — If Goshen head women’s basketball coach Steve Wiktorowski was looking for a tough test prior to the start of Mid-Central Conference play, he certainly found it this weekend at the Aquinas College Classic in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

With a youthful Goshen team facing the host school on Friday and the possibility of facing either an NAIA Division I power (Indiana University South Bend) or NCAA Division II machine (Ferris State University) Saturday, the four-team tournament qualified as a true pre-cursor for an MCC schedule that boasts four of nine team’s ranked in the nation’s top 25 pre-season poll.

Results from the weekend reflected such elevated competition, as Goshen (1-5, 0-0) dropped a 50-83 decision to Aquinas Friday night before falling to IUSB 57-74 Saturday afternoon in the consolation game. The Leafs played both contests without leading scorer and starting point guard Krystal Duensing (freshman), who will learn the severity of a right knee injury from MRI results Monday afternoon.

“This was a good experience for our young team in that we played quality competition and it taught us the importance of concentrating for long periods of time,” Wiktorowski said. “I thought we were able to make some progress this weekend overall in several areas, and the girls are working very hard to make the most out of an extremely tough situation because of all our injuries and youth. I was extremely happy with the attitudes they showed this weekend in trying to fight through.”

With senior guard Jenn Rupp already out with a torn ACL — she is expected to return to the lineup by mid-January — the potential loss of Duensing now seems more plausible than before. After being diagnosed with a subluxation of the kneecap after an injury suffered in practice on Nov. 14, surgeons now believe that Duensing may have a torn ACL. MRI results will yield comprehensive answers Monday afternoon. Duensing was averaging 15.3 points per game in the team’s first three contests.

Wiktorowski’s team could have been benefited by both Rupp and Duensing’s presence Friday, as the host Saints stormed out to a 43-23 lead at halftime. That deficit would have been smaller had Aquinas not converted on seven of 17 first-half three pointers (41.2 percent) and made more free throws than the Leafs attempted (six of nine, 66.7 percent compared to Goshen’s one of four, 25 percent clip). Goshen knocked in 10 of 28 shots from the floor in the first period (35.7 percent) but only two were threes.

Aquinas continued to pour it on in the second half, upping its shooting percentage to 45.5 percent (15 of 33 shooting) while Goshen’s dropped (eight of 26, 30.8 percent). The Leafs outrebounded the Saints by a 44 to 39 margin, but Goshen’s 23 turnovers were too much to overcome. Aquinas scored 26 points off the Leafs’ errors, while Wiktorowski’s squad could convert just six points off nine Aquinas turnovers.

Sophomores Kelsy McKee and Carly Feldman paced Goshen’s offensive effort, each scoring 12 points. Feldman grabbed a team-leading seven rebounds, as did freshman Rachel Canen to go with eight points.

Facing IUSB for the second time in a week Saturday afternoon, Goshen kept things close for the majority of the match. Wiktorowski’s team increased its shooting efficiency to 45 percent in the first half against the Lady Titans, trailing by just a 29-24 score at the intermission.

IUSB turned things up a notch in the second period, however, forcing a total 28 Goshen turnovers in rolling to the 17-point win. After holding IUSB to just 13 of 32 shooting in the first half (40.6 percent), Goshen could not hold its neighboring rival down in the second period as the Lady Titans made 17 of 29 second-half attempts (58.6 percent).

Freshman Kendra Fights was the bright spot offensively for Goshen, scoring 19 points on five of 10 shooting from the floor. Sophomore Jess Buller scored 11 on five of eight shooting, with Canen again providing eight points and McKee seven. As a team, Goshen finally got to the free throw line at a better rate than its opponent — a staple of a Wiktorowski-coached team — converting 15 of 18 charity tosses (85.7 percent) to IUSB’s nine of 13 performance (69.2 percent).

“I was pleased with the focus and aggressive play in both contests by Kelsy McKee, who has struggled with concentration in consecutive games lately,” Wiktorowski said. “Jess Buller also had a good weekend, helping us with ballhandling in the first game and then giving us some offense as a starter in the second game. Both Carly Feldman and (freshman) Troyanna Scott had some good minutes, although Scott went down with a knee sprain in the second game, which just adds to our injury problems.”

Scott, like Duensing, will receive appropriate treatment upon the diagnosis of her injury. Wiktorowski will now look to regroup his troops to begin the MCC season Tuesday night, as his team will travel to sixth-ranked University of St. Francis. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

“It doesn’t get any easier and our injuries aren’t helping, but we got some things done this weekend,” Wiktorowski said. “We were able to work against different full court presses, which our young guards need to see. We got off to a very good start against IUSB, which is encouraging, becaue we have been digging ourselves into a hole early in games. If our offense can become more consistent, I think we will become more competitive against these types of teams.”