A late first half surge proved to be the difference as the Goshen College men’s basketball team earned their fourth Crossroads League win, beating the Taylor University Trojans 91-73 Tuesday evening in Gunden Gymnasium.
Both teams came out on fire, trading baskets for the majority of the first half. With seven minutes remaining until the break, the teams were all knotted up at 20-20. This is when Goshen erupted, going on a 12-0 run while holding the Trojans scoreless for just over four minutes. Goshen ended the half outscoring the Trojans 21-7 and went into the locker room up 40-27. Dominique Bolden, a senior forward, and Devin Heath-Granger, a sophomore guard, led the Maple Leafs, shooting 3-7 and 4-5 respectively.Goshen started the second half right where they left off; almost every shot fell for the home side while the away team was unable to buy a basket. The lead grew to 20 with 13 minutes left, and continued to a game high margin of 24 with just under 10 minutes left to play.
Goshen found four scorers in double-digits for the evening; Bolden paced the Leafs with 25 while Conner Funkhouser, a sophomore, was right behind him with 20. Heath-Granger played 39 of the 40 minutes in the contest and added 18 points, eight assists, and six rebounds. Austin Hayden, a freshman guard, was the fourth Maple Leaf in double-digits, tallying 12 point on the night. Goshen ended the contest shooting 58 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arc, while holding the Trojans to 41 percent overall.
With the win, Goshen improves to 12-9 overall, including 4-5 and in sole possession of seventh place in the Crossroads League. The Trojans fall to 9-12 on the season, 3-6 in league play. The Leafs will look to create a winning streak this Saturday as they travel to Fort Wayne to play No. 3 Saint Francis University.
