KOKOMO, Ind. – TaNiece Chapman was a rebound away from a double-double and ten players scored for the Maple Leafs women's basketball team on Saturday afternoon in Kokomo. In a tight battle, the IU-Kokomo Cougars slid by 76-68.
The teams were tied after the first quarter, but the Cougars slowly built up a lead. They led by three at the half and then were ahead by six after three quarters.
Goshen started strong, with a 15-7 lead early on. Then a 13-5 run from IU-Kokomo negated the Maple Leaf momentum. Goshen still had a couple of five-point leads in the second quarter, but they weren't able to take a lead in the second half of the game.
"We learned from today that we can't be who we want to be until we find a way to relax in-game," head coach
Stephanie Miller said afterward. "We are very tense right now and we are playing stressed out and worried about making mistakes. We are playing 'not to lose' instead of intending to win."
Chapman scored 17 and brought down nine rebounds.
Graysen Cockerham had 14 points – eight of them were in the second quarter. Sa'Drea Rougeau also scored in double figures with 11 and shot 5-9 from the field.
Miller pointed out that the team has been making some controllable errors like missed block out and defensive assignments. If they can control those mistakes, they can be in a better position. "We are working hard, but not smart," said Miller. "If we can stop thinking too much, we will play both harder and smarter. That's the combination we are looking for."
The Cougars only shot 40% from the free-throw line, but they were able to outrebound Goshen 46-32. They scored 16 second-chance points compared to nine for the Maple Leafs.
IU-Kokomo (1-3) avoided going 0-3 against Crossroads League opponents in their non-conference schedule. They had lost to Grace and Bethel, also at home, but didn't let it happen a third time.
Goshen falls to 3-3 and is on the road on Tuesday, November 16. The Leafs will take on Aquinas (Mich.) at 7:00 pm on the road. The next home game for Goshen will be on Saturday, November 20 at 1:00 pm against Saint Francis (Ind.). That match will be the first conference matchup of the season and will be followed by the same two teams on the men's side at 3:00 pm.
