By Andrew Snyder
Sports Information Intern

RICHMOND, Ind. — Lynnia Noel tallied 25 points and Sophia Sears added 10 assists as the Goshen College women's basketball team played to an 84-77 victory over the Brescia University Bearcats Friday afternoon at Indiana University East.

Gabby Williams returned to the starting lineup after missing the first two games of the season, and her impact was felt immediately, as the 6-1 senior scored the first bucket to give Goshen (2-1) the early lead. However, it was Bearcat Kelsey Kirkpatrick who stole the show in the first stanza, knocking down four shots and a pair of free throws for 12 of Brescia's 22 first quarter points.

With a 25-22 lead out of the break, the Maple Leafs turned to their guards in the second quarter. Noel scored eight of her 15 first-half points and Caitlyn O'Neal recorded eight points as Goshen rode a 49-44 lead into the halftime break. Kirkpatrick would knock down two more 3-pointers before half to lead Brescia, whose biggest lead of the game was six midway through the second quarter.

Goshen's momentum and size took its toll on the Bearcats in the third quarter, as Noel duplicated her first stanza point total of eight while Williams added 12 points on six field goals, four of which were in a row to end the third with a 71-63 edge.  The Maple Leafs also were able to hold Kirkpatrick to only two points, both of which came from the free throw line.

Sydney Stein would start the Maple Leaf scoring in the fourth by knocking down a free throw, followed by Noel's final bucket of the game to push Goshen's lead out to a game-high 11 at 74-63. Brescia would outscore the Maple Leafs 14-13 in the final stanza, but the one-point gain wasn't enough to catch Goshen, the final 84-77.

The Maple Leafs dished assists on 27 of 33 made field goals (82 percent) in the contest, the highest mark in the past two seasons. Noel finished with 25 points, just one bucket short of her career high, set in a conference clash at Mount Vernon Nazarene where she scored 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting on January 15, 2014.

Williams ended with 18 points while O'Neal added 12 for Goshen. Sophia Sears led all players with her career-high 10 assists and tied Bearcat Alicia Salazar for a game-high seven rebounds. Kirkpatrick finished with 26 to lead all scorers.

"This was a chess match from start to finish," commented head coach Stephanie Miller. "Brescia did a great job creating mismatches with their all-guard lineup and putting pressure on our defense. They hit some big shots in the first half, and I was disappointed with our defensive accountability. We had better intensity and man-for-man responsibility from our players coming out of halftime. Brescia's hot shooting made us have to adjust, but we also played better team defense in the secondnd half. We paid more attention to the scouting report and drove them off the 3-point line. "

"Lynnia was a real offensive weapon this afternoon and put a lot of pressure on their zone defense by attacking the gaps," Miller commented. "Sophie found her way to 10 assists and led a strong effort by the team to share the basketball. Caitlyn O'Neal shared the ball well, stretched the floor with some key buckets, and played quality defense for a strong all-around game. It was also big for us to have Gabby Williams back in the post, adding even more pressure on their small zone. She did a nice job finishing at the rim and finding cutters in the paint."

"Overall, we are learning important lessons about our team as we get experience together and today was a good bounce back game for us against a quality opponent," Miller concluded.

The game was played on a neutral court in the Students Activities and Events Center on the campus of Indiana University East as a part of a two-day tournament, to which Goshen returns on Saturday to take on the host Red Wolves. Tip-off is tentatively set for 3 p.m. following two earlier games scheduled to start at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.