GOSHEN, Ind. — Tyra Carver scored 15 points, including the 1,000th of her career on a free throw with 20.7 seconds left in the third quarter, and the Goshen College women's basketball team finished its pre-Christmas conference slate with an 81-65 upset of no. 20 St. Francis on Saturday afternoon at Gunden Gymnasium.

Carver shot 6-for-10 from the field and made a pair of three-pointers on her way to leading the team in scoring. She is the 14th player to reach a four-figure scoring total in a Goshen uniform and the third to do in the last 10 months, joining classmates Jo'Mani Thomas and Liz Tecca. That trio has amassed 3,227 with at least 19 games apiece left in their senior seasons.

"Tyra was our leader and our motor today," said Goshen head coach Stephanie Miller. "She hit some clutch baskets to kill their runs and keep the momentum swinging in our favor. "I'm so proud of her growth both personally and as a basketball player and it was a special night for her to be able to (score 1,000 points) in this environment on a big day."

Five other Maple Leafs scored in double figures: Jo'Mani Thomas scored 13, Liz Tecca and Lynnia Noel added 11 points apiece, while Sophia Sears and Gabby Williams each scored 10. Keshia Ward, who finished with eight points, nearly made it a septet with 10 points or more.

Williams pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds in 23 minutes for her fifth double-double of the season as Goshen moved to 10-1, 3-0 in the Crossroads League. Brooke Ridley posted a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds, leading USF (4-3, 2-1) in both categories.

The Cougars scored first on a Ridley foul shot after just 25 seconds. It would be their only lead of the game: their hosts scored 17 of the next 19 points, seven of which came from Sears, to open a 17-3 lead at the midpoint of the quarter. The Maple Leafs led by as many as 23 points and were ahead by 10 or more for the final 35:56.

"My players played with great energy and executed the game plan with great focus," said Miller. "We knew that teams were trying to double-team Ridley (a two-time All-American who averages 24.7 points per game) and letting their shooters get open looks outside. We committed to guarding her one-on-one and Gabby and Keshia did a strong job forcing her into tough shots. In addition, our guards really took care of guarding the 3 point line and forced them to feel a little uncomfortable."

Ridley scored more points than any other player on the floor, but shot 5-for-19 from the field.

"Ridley is a player who truly cannot be shut down, but we gave her quite a challenge and made her work for her buckets," Miller said. "But to have six players in double figures today shows just how balanced an offensive attack we have. This really was an all-around team effort and I couldn't be more proud of my girls for showing up and putting their best effort on the table."

Sears added a game-high seven assists, followed by five apiece from Noel and Tecca. Goshen assisted on 21 of its 28 field goals, holding St. Francis to five helpers. The Maple Leafs held a 43-41 advantage on the glass, although the Cougars cleaned their own plates 15 times and scored 18 second-chance points.

"Sophia and Lynnia (Noel) have both been doing a great job setting the table for the other players to score," Miller said. "Carver and Tecca shot well from the floor today to provide a spark and Thomas provided a strong senior-leader-like effort with a little of everything, from boards to defensive stops to clutch free throws."

Williams blocked six shots, a total that has been bested just four times in the NAIA this year. The teams combined for 18 blocks, 44 fouls and 51 turnovers.

"We made many mistakes that we must continue to improve upon to keep moving forward, but we played like a team on a mission and I liked our toughness today," Miller said. "Hopefully we can build off of this win and keep trying to chip away and put together wins in this tough conference."

Goshen knocked down 47.5 percent of its field goal tries (28 of 59) and 18 of 21 foul shots (85.7 percent). USF was 17-for-63 (27.0 percent) from the floor and 28-for-39 (71.8 percent) at the line.

The Maple Leafs defeated a team in the NAIA top-25 coaches poll for the first time in their last eight tries and defeated St. Francis for the first time since 2008, snapping a 15-game losing streak.

"In our minds, we knew that this game was no more or less important than every one of the 18 games we have on our conference schedule, but in our hearts, I'd be lying if told you that we weren't particularly hungry to get a victory against St. Francis," Miller said. "They have had what we have been looking to build, and this was an obstacle that until today, we haven't been able to overcome. We have great respect for the University of St. Francis and what they have accomplished, but today was our day."

Goshen will take next week off of competition for final exams, leaving nine idle days between Saturday and the next game. Adrian College, the lone NCAA Division III opponent on the GC schedule this year, will visit Gunden Gymnasium on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.