The Men’s basketball team lost both games this weekend as they traveled to Indiana Wesleyan to play in the Caleb Dimmich tournament.
The Maple Leafs lost 95-93 against the University of Michigan Dearborn on Friday and fell 82-58 against Olivet Nazarene University the following day.During Friday night’s match-up, Goshen’s Demarkus Stuckey lead the way early on for the Maple Leafs. Stuckey hit four three-pointers in the first five minutes of play and would finish the half with 18 points.
An Austin Branagan three-pointer put the Maple Leafs on top by 15, which gave the Maple Leafs their largest advantage in the game at the 12:20 mark.
In the first half, the Maple Leafs knocked down nine three-pointers, which sent them into the locker room with a 13-point advantage.
The second half began with a three-point shot from Eli Gingerich to put the Maple Leafs up 14, but the Wolverines would go on a 7-0 run in a matter of 33 seconds to cut the deficit in half.
Six minutes later, the Maple Leafs were able to advance their lead to 13 points after a Ben Cotton three-pointer at the 12:14 mark.
In the space of one minute and 30 seconds, the Wolverines went on a 12-1 run to tie the game at 76. The Maple Leafs responded with a 8-2 run to give them a six-point advantage with 2:47 remaining.
The Wolverines’ Cody Kegley was fouled and sent to the line with one second left on the clock. Down two points, Kegley would hit both his free throws to send the game into overtime.
In overtime, the Wolverines found themselves down by two points again. They sent Kegley to the line, who knocked down two more free throws to tie it up once again.
Zac Chichester put the Wolverines on top with 23 seconds remaining.
But the Maple Leafs answered.
Sophomore Tamaje Blackwell tied the game up at 93 apiece with a basket with only 11 seconds remaining.
Just as the time expired and the buzzer sounded, the Wolverines’ Zach Lattimer hit the game winner. Wolverines 95, Goshen 93.
Stuckey was the game’s highest scorer with 34 points. Alhassan Barrie and Patryk Ostrowski added double doubles. Barrie had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Ostrowski had 10 points and 14 rebounds.
There was little time to dwell on Friday’s disappointment as the Maple Leafs had a quick turn around, playing Saturday at 3 p.m. against the Tigers of Olivet Nazarene.
The Tigers threw the first punch of the game. They went on a 22-8 run out of the gates, which saw the Tigers’ Nic Reed score all 22 points.
Olivet Nazarene would lead by as much as 21 points in the first half.
The Maple Leafs recovered as they went on a 12-0 run to cut the first half deficit to only nine. The Maple Leafs would trail at the half by 13.
Reed had 31 first-half points, single-handedly outscoring the Maple Leafs.
By halftime, the score was Tigers 43, Maple Leafs 30.
Goshen would once again cut the lead down, this time to 10 after Austin Branagan hit a three-point shot. The Tigers would respond with a game-clinching 13-0 run.
At the 2:45 mark left in the game, the Tigers led by their largest lead of 28 points.
The Maple Leafs would fail to come back. The game ended Olivet Nazarene 82, Goshen College 58.
Goshen only had two players in double figures: Stuckey with 18 and Blackwell off of the bench with 12.
With the two losses, Goshen’s record has now fallen to 1-2.