By Tony Miller
Sports Information Director

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Logan Primerano used his first half of the season to score a team-high 14 points Saturday as Goshen College dropped a 97-67 decision to top-ranked Cornerstone University at Mol Arena.

Christian Grider added 11 points and five assists, pacing the Maple Leafs (4-2) in the latter category for the first time this season. Patryck Ostrowski and Conner Funkhouser added eight points apiece.

Cornerstone (4-2), which led the NAIA Division II coaches poll in the preseason edition, raced out to nine points in the first two minutes. The Maple Leafs countered by knocking down seven of their first 10 shots, outscoring the Golden Eagles 10-7 over the next three minutes to close within 16-15.

The hosts' early offensive struggles were short-lived, as CU led 57-33 at halftime behind a 20-for-30 performance from the floor. Ostrowski would lead the Maple Leafs with eight points in the opening period while Grider added seven. Goshen's big men were plagued by fouls throughout the first 20 minutes, with four Maple Leaf forwards picking up two infractions each in the first half. Goshen was whistled 13 times to Cornerstone's four.

"Our guys weren't prepared for much of what Cornerstone did, and that's 100 percent on me," said Goshen coach Jon Tropf. "This game was not their fault and we will learn from this and get better."

Each team's shooting fell off after halftime, with Cornerstone hitting 12 of 28 shots (42.9 percent) and Goshen going 13-for-39 (33.3 percent). The scoring totals took a corresponding nosedive, falling from a combined 90 points in the first half to 74 in the second.

Primerano hit five of his 11 shots in the second half and added three foul shots: Goshen went 5-for-7 at the line in the last 20 minutes after attempting one free throw in the first half.

A Peru, Indiana, native who played two seasons at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell before transferring to GC this summer, Primerano missed Goshen's first five games of the year due to injury, He checked in to start the second half and finished with 14 minutes, two rebounds and two assists.

Michael Bradshaw scored 22 points for Cornerstone to lead all players. Kyle Steigenga added 20 points and eight rebounds after going 10-for-11 on foul shots. All five CU starters scored in double figures.

Cornerstone's Sam VanderSluis paced all players with nine rebounds, although GC held the NAIA's second-leading rebounder under his season average by more than a quarter. Emmanuel Audu led Goshen with seven caroms and a game-high three blocks: Tanner Camp added another stuff on Cornerstone's penultimate possession.

The Maple Leafs continue their seven-game road trip Wednesday with a visit to Ohio Christian University, a game that was rescheduled from November 8. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Maxwell Center in Circleville, Ohio.