Senior Billy Geschke poured in 20 points to no avail as the Goshen College men’s basketball team dropped in a 107-86 loss to Marian University this past Saturday afternoon in a pivotal Crossroads League matchup.

Geschke’s team-leading mark was nothing more than routine for the veteran pushing his career scoring total to 1,344, just four points shy of 10th place in school history. Goshen’s (10-12, 3-7 CL) second-leading scorer, assist leader and top defensive swiper was fellow senior Devin Heath-Granger. Heath-Granger finished the 40-minute affair with 17 to accompany his eight dimes and three steals. The Indianapolis native’s performance moved him into fourth place in career steals while his 145 season assists give him the ninth-most in a single season.

It was a story of two halves for the Maple Leafs as they parlayed a 61-38 disadvantage heading into the half. The Knights (15-7, 5-5 CL)  finished the first stanza a blistering 24-for-37 (65.8 percent) from the field compared to Goshen’s meager 13-for-36 (36.1 percent) clip.

However, the remainder of the contest swung in favor of Goshen as they narrowly outpaced the Knights 48-46 in the final 20 minutes of play. Goshen used a 12-3 spurt in the latter stages of the frame powered by Colton Noel, a first-year, and Heath-Granger’s 13 second-half gimmies.

Despite the wide scoring margin, the Goshen men vastly outpaced the Knights at the charity stripe and committed less turnovers than the hosts. The Leafs finished 21-for-26 (80.8 percent) from the line and committed just 10 giveaways. The Knights tallied just a 12-for-20 (60 percent) mark from the stripe and coughed up the rock on 12 occasions.

Christian Grider, a senior, added his name to the list of double-digits scorers with 14 of his own on 5-of-10 shooting from the field including four from downtown. Patryk Ostrowski, a sophomore, rounded out the double-digit performances with 12 off the bench. The Jelenia, Poland native lead Goshen with eight rebounds and three blocked shots.

The men will return home on Tuesday evening against Indiana Wesleyan University (game finished after print deadline) before hitting the road once again to Grace College. The matchup against the Lancers on Saturday is slated to begin at 3 p.m.