GOSHEN, Ind. — A pair of senior guards doubled up on double-digit scoring as Goshen College's starting backcourt combined for 45 points Saturday afternoon in a 77-73 Crossroads League women's basketball victory over the University of Saint Francis.

Lynnia Noel and Sophia Sears combined to go 17-for-31 from the floor with seven free throws and nine assists in 32 minutes apiece.

Each offense got off to a fast start, with both teams shooting better than 50 percent in the first quarter and Goshen (5-6, 1-2 CL) taking a 28-23 lead after 10 minutes. Noel was perfect on four field goal tries in the opening stanza, draining one of them from beyond the arc, and led the Maple Leafs with nine points. Kara Gerka paced USF (3-7, 1-2) with eleven points of her own.

Despite leading by at least three points for every second of the second stanza, Goshen could not extend its lead into double figures at any point, going 6-for-15 (40 percent) from the floor and just 1-of-6 from 3-point range to lead 43-36 at the halftime intermission. Sears and Noel scored six points each to lead all players in the quarter, but the rest of Goshen's offense managed one field goal; while five Cougars scored, no player did so more than twice.

USF took its first lead since the opening minutes on a Gerka field goal with 3:39 left in the third period, and while first Caitlyn O'Neal and then Noel scored to put Goshen back on top, Quila Jackson scored six points down the stretch to put the Cougars up 58-55 with 10 minutes remaining. Saint Francis forced five turnovers in the quarter and hit eight shots to Goshen's five: GC was 5-for-15 (33.3 percent) from the floor.

But the tables turned for Goshen in the fourth period: the Maple Leafs knocked down eight of 14 shots (57.1 percent) while holding their guests to 5-of-17 (29.4 percent). Sears tied the game 19 seconds into the quarter with an old-fashioned three-point play, and save for a 15-second stretch between free throws with just more than five minutes remaining, Goshen never trailed again.

Sydney Stein tied the game back up at the 5:11 mark; on the ensuing USF possession, she came away with the rebound and heaved an outlet pass to Angela McLean for a fast-break score. Sears joined the fun a minute later, using a steal and run-out to put GC up 67-63 with 3:31 to go. The teams exchanged baskets for two-plus minutes, with another Stein score making it 72-68 with 53 seconds left.

The problem with a four-point lead, of course, is that two possessions can be enough to erase it altogether. USF used a three-point play from Savannah Davis to start that process, pulling within 72-71 nine seconds later. But the Maple Leafs had other ideas, played out again through a senior: after a timeout advancing the ball to the forecourt, Sears slashed into the lane and sank a jump shot, followed by a steal and score off the succeeding inbound pass to put her team up five.

"That savvy play from our senior point guard was a back-breaker down the stretch," said Goshen coach Stephanie Miller. "Critical plays are the things you look to your leaders for and our veterans played well when it mattered most."

When Saint Francis missed a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left, the rebound and foul sent Goshen to the line: two misses kept the Cougars in the game for one more basket, but Noel's free throw with 5.3 seconds left pushed the final margin back to two possessions.

 "This was quite an adventure: up, down, sloppy, pretty and a little of everything in between," Miller said. "There are so many things that I could critique, but I'd rather focus on the most important factors: we closed a game out down the stretch in winning time and we got a conference victory over a quality opponent. I'm very proud of my ladies for overcoming adversity and gutting this one out. We have a lot to learn, but we are making progress one day at a time."

Sears finished with 23 points and Noel 20, the only two Goshen players in double figures. Gerka led all players with 26 points and 12 rebounds, but the Maple Leafs came out ahead 36-34 on the glass. Despite getting nearly 70 percent of its scoring from guards, Goshen also finished with a 44-32 scoring edge in the paint.

Jackson and Savannah Davis each added 17 points for the Cougars.

Stein pulled down a team-high eight rebounds for GC, followed by a trio of players with five each. Sears added six assists as both teams put up more assists than turnovers.

"We had a few others that really made big plays down the stretch today," Miller said. "Sydney Stein had a key score and a few big boards in the final three minutes. Angela McLean stepped up and converted a few big rebounds into points in the second half. Haley Archibeque hit a clutch layup in the last minute and a half which put us up four with the clock on our side. There were many little things that we did today that allowed us to finish this one out. We just need to watch the film and get better every day but today we will take the win and be happy."

Goshen returns to the floor at 6 p.m. Wednesday when it closes out the pre-Christmas portion of its conference slate by visiting Bethel College in Mishawaka.