MISHAWAKA, Ind. — A 13-2 third-quarter run put the Goshen College women's basketball team up for good in a 69-58 Crossroads League victory over Bethel College on Wednesday night at Gates Gymnasium.

The Maple Leafs (6-6, 2-2) never trailed in the opening quarter, but were also never able to push their lead past four points. Each team made six field goals including a 3-pointer; GC's two free throws put the visitors up 15-14 after 10 minutes. Sophia Sears scored six points and Gabby Williams five for Goshen, while six different Pilots scored, paced by Savannah Bley with four.

Bethel (0-12, 0-4) countered with six straight points to take an 18-15 lead 78 seconds into the second quarter and used 50 percent (8-for-16) shooting to take a 35-30 lead at halftime. Lynnia Noel scored a team-high six points in the quarter for GC, while Bley scored eight points for Bethel after Goshen turned the ball over eight times.

Bethel shot 14-of-25 (56 percent) in the opening half, including a 5-for-6 mark from Bley, and pulled down 15 rebounds to Goshen's 12. Goshen shot 44.4 percent (12-for-27) from the floor. Gabby Williams and Bley led their teams with five boards apiece while Goshen's Lynnia Noel and Bethel's Macie Hinen each accumulated three assists.

The tables turned in the third quarter as Goshen went 9-for-11 from the floor, including a perfect 7-for-7 inside the arc and 4-for-4 at the foul line, outscoring the Pilots 24-12. After each team scored on its first possession, the Maple Leafs went on an 11-0 run including five points from Williams. After holding Bethel without a field goal for more than five minutes, Goshen finished the period on a 7-4 run to lead 54-47 after 30 minutes. Seven of the 10 GC players who played scored in the period.

The offenses leveled off in the final quarter as the teams combined for seven made baskets after sinking 14 in the third. Kamala Glenn made a free throw 18 seconds in to pull Bethel within six points; Goshen responded with six points of its own in a row, pushing its lead to a game-high 12, and never led by less than seven again. Bley, who played every second of the stanza, led all players with six points, while Sears and Williams each had five.

In the second half, Goshen was 12-of-20 (60 percent) from the floor and 12-for-17 (70.6 percent) at the line: Bethel shot just 32.1 percent, going 0-for-9 from distance. Sears led all players with four assists and each team retrieved 16 rebounds.

"Getting a win on the road in the Crossroads League is always tough, so heading to your rival's gym and getting one on their floor makes it a great night," said Goshen coach Stephanie Miller. "Bethel has been playing well and tonight was no different. They played us tough from the start. We made some physical and mental adjustments at halftime, then came out and played an inspired second half. I'm happy to see us come up with another clutch end-of-game performance. We're making baby steps and need to keep getting tougher mentally heading into the second half of the schedule."

Sears finished with 19 points, raising her career total to 1,042; Williams finished with 15 and Noel with 14. Williams also led all players with 12 rebounds, picking up a double-double for the third time in as many career meetings with Bethel. Bley paced the Pilots with 16 points and 11 boards.

"Gabby Williams gave us a strong performance with her double-double and Sophie and Lynnia also had strong performances," Miller said. "Several other players contributed little things that really added up. I'm proud of this win and looking forward to the break so we can focus on school, get healthy, and put in new things."

The victory is Goshen's fifth in a row against the Pilots; before the 2014-15 season, Bethel had won every head-to-head meeting since 2006.

Goshen is idle for the next 12 days due to final exams: the Maple Leafs return to the court on consecutive days, hosting IU Kokomo at 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 19 and Trinity International at 1 p.m. the next day.