UPLAND, Ind. — Graysen Cockerham came within one point of the game high as she scored 18 Wednesday night, but Taylor University took an early lead and the Goshen College women's basketball team was never able to catch up in an 80-57 defeat at Odle Arena.

TaNiece Chapman added a 7-for-8 night at the free-throw line and a team-high 8 rebounds, but no Maple Leaf player shot better than 50 percent from the floor in the loss. Cockerham was 6-of-12, Chapman 3-of-6 and Emily Brandeberry 1-of-2.

Taylor, which received votes in the NAIA coaches poll released earlier Wednesday, shot 45 percent from the floor and outrebounded the Maple Leafs 47-28. Kiara Nieto posted 19 points and 7 rebounds while Taylor Westgate led all players with 11 rebounds.

Goshen (5-14, 3-8 Crossroads League) shot 31 percent overall and 21 percent from 3-point range, with the 5 triples coming from five players. Sadre'a Rougeau added 4 steals and 2 assists to tie for the team lead in both categories with Janara Flowers and Kiarah Copeland respectively.

Taylor (16-4, 9-3) scored the game's first 13 points, holding the Maple Leafs without a field goal until Claire Rauck scored at the 2:16 mark of the first quarter. Goshen bounced back to score on each of its last three possessions in the opening period but still trailed 23-12 after 10 minutes.

The Trojans went on another run late in the second quarter, holding GC without a field goal for more than six minutes and scoring 13 of the 16 points in that span. Taylor hit at clips of 49 percent from the floor and 46 percent from distance in the first half and led 43-25 at intermission.

Goshen got back in the game with an 8-0 run in the third quarter, getting six of those eight points at the foul line, and Chapman added her third career 3-pointer to pull the team within 54-40 with 3:12 to go.

Goshen's defense held Taylor to 13 percent (2-for-15) from 3-point range in the second half while the Maple Leafs connected from deep three times in the fourth quarter. Copeland started that trend at 9:09 before Rauck dialed long-distance with 8:12 left, matching her home area code, and Brandeberry followed at 2:14.

Taylor finished with a 32-16 edge in points in the paint while Goshen had a 20-19 margin in bench points.

GC plays its final scheduled non-conference game of the season on Saturday against Spring Arbor University, a CL member school that is playing non-conference games this year due to Michigan COVID-19 restrictions affecting its schedule. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. in Goshen's Ruth Gunden Gymnasium.