FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Demarkus Stuckey scored a career-high 36 points Saturday but Goshen College's second-half comeback fell short in an 87-81 Crossroads League men's basketball loss to the University of St. Francis at the Hutzell Athletic Center.

Stuckey shot 65 percent (13-of-20) from the floor and connected on 9 of 12 attempts from long range to set a new single-game season scoring high for any Maple Leaf. He also led the team with 3 assists while Austin Branagan added 11 points off the bench.

Connor Lautzenhiser scored 23 points to lead St. Francis (12-8, 5-3), which put its entire starting five in double figures in the scoring column. Chandler White posted a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds alongside 16 points from Hunter Hollowell.

The Cougars shot 63.3 percent (19-for-30) in the first half, although Goshen sank 8 of its 12 three-point tries and finished the stanza on a 7-2 run to close within 48-38 at the intermission. USF answered with 14 points in the first four minutes of the second half to run the lead out to a game-high 19.

Stuckey got the Maple Leafs back on the scoreboard within 10 seconds of the Cougar high-water mark and scored 17 of his team's next 28 points. By the time he drained a 3-pointer with 6:34 left in regulation, Goshen had run off a 28-10 spurt and trailed just 72-71.

Branagan forced a steal on Goshen's next defensive possession, but the Maple Leafs came up empty on their next two shots with chances to take the lead. Branagan had the honor of getting the score back within one possession the next time, at 77-75 with 4:07 to play, but USF scored on every possession except one to keep their visitors at arm's length.

Goshen finished the second half shooting 56.7 percent (17-for-30) from the floor and 58.3 percent (7-for-12) from 3-point range.

The Maple Leafs racked up a season-high 15 triples for the game and shot 55.6 percent (30-for-54) from the floor. St. Francis kept pace, though, shooting 53.6 percent (30-for-56), and made up for the long-range scoring with a 22-6 edge in free throws.

White's 11 caroms led all players; Stuckey and Blackwell paced Goshen with 4 each. Branagan and Hollowell each led their teams with 2 steals.

The Maple Leafs return to the court Tuesday night as they make their longest road trip of the conference season to visit Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. in Ariel Arena.