The Goshen College women’s basketball team beat Lourdes University 67-62 in their home opener this past Saturday.
In the first quarter, the Maple Leafs jumped out to a 12-3 lead after sophomore Mariah Roe hit two three-point baskets.The Maple Leafs hit a total of three three-pointers to take a 23-14 first quarter lead.
In the second quarter, Goshen slowed down. The Maple Leafs scored only eight points on 2-13 shooting from the field.
Lourdes cut the nine-point deficit to four at the half. Maple Leafs were on top 31-27.
In the third quarter, the Maple Leafs got 14 points of bench production behind five from junior Alyson Prigge and five from sophomore Claire Rauck.
First-year TaNiece Chapman added four as the Maple Leafs took a 10-point lead going into the fourth quarter.
The teams traded two two-point baskets to begin the quarter before Prigge hit a three-pointer to give the Maple Leafs their largest lead of the fourth quarter at 13.
Jami Hardy of Lourdes responded with eight in a row to reduce Goshen’s lead to five and keep the Grey Wolves in the game.
Maple Leafs first-year Graysen Cockerham would then shoot from the three-point line to increase the home team’s lead to 8 and keep the Grey Wolves chasing the game.
In the final 2:27 minutes, the Maple Leafs would hit four of six free throws down the stretch to close the game out.
The Maple Leafs were led by three starters in double figures. Cockerham had 13 and senior Sydney Stein, as well as Roe, had 10.
The Maple Leafs bench put up 27 points on the board with Prigge scoring 11 and Chapman with nine.
The Maple Leafs are now 2-1 on the season which is already an improvement on last year’s 1-29 season.
Goshen will be back on the floor next Friday and Saturday, Oct. 10 and 11, when they play in the Trinity International University Tournament in Bannockburn, Illinois.
