GOSHEN, Ind. — Indiana University Kokomo's Aliante Harper scored 21 points before halftime Tuesday night and finished with a game-high 28 as the Goshen College men's basketball team dropped a 92-62 decision to the Cougars in Gunden Gymnasium.
Austin Branagan led the Maple Leafs (1-2) with 18 points and 7 rebounds while Tahj Curry finished with 16 and 4 to take second on the team in both categories. Curry also connected on a pair of 3-point goals.
The Cougars (2-1) had a three-headed offensive attack, with Harper joining Trequan Spivey and Desean Hampton to score 68 of the team's 92 points. Those three players shot 27-for-38 (71 percent) from the floor and hit on 11 of their 14 triples. Spivey scored 24 points while Hampton had a double-double with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
The teams combined for just 16 fouls and 20 free throws in a game that lasted an hour and 33 minutes. IU Kokomo committed 12 infractions and went 6-for-8 at the line while Goshen committed 4 fouls and went 10-for-12.
The Cougars shot 57 percent (37-for-65) from the floor and 52 percent (12-for-23) from long distance. The figures were even higher in the first half, 60 percent and 70 percent respectively, as they led 46-30 at intermission.
Harper's triple capped the first run of the game, a 7-0 spurt that put the visitors up 19-12 after seven minutes and change. Another 6-0 run in the form of two more Harper 3s opened a 35-22 lead with 4:22 remaining. An 11-0 Cougar run pushed the lead to 20 before GC scored twice in the final five seconds of the first half.
Coming out of the locker room, Goshen scored the first four points and Spivey answered with the next five, but the Cougars held the Maple Leafs to one field goal in an 8-minute span as the visitors scored 15 points to double the lead to 66-36 with 12:54 remaining.
The Maple Leafs scored on five of their next seven possessions to halt the run, but the lead never fell below 28 points in the last 10 minutes.
Goshen hits the road for the first time this season this weekend to take part in the Domino's Classic at the University of Rio Grande in Ohio. The Maple Leafs play Ohio Christian University at 5:30 p.m. on Friday before meeting the hosts at 3 p.m. Saturday.
