GOSHEN, Ind. – The Goshen men's basketball team led by as many as 14 points to the new number one team in the NAIA on Saturday afternoon, but Saint Francis pulled out a 90-83 win in the final minutes and remain undefeated.
 
A 23-8 Goshen run in the first half brought the game from a tie to a 33-18 GC lead. By halftime, the Maple Leafs still led by eight and mustered 48 points on the scoreboard.
 
In a matter of three and a half minutes early in the second half, the Cougars had a 13-2 stretch where they took the lead 53-52. It was the first time they had led in the game since it was 10-8. The teams traded points for a while until they were tied 72-72 with a little over six minutes remaining. Then USF started to build a lead that they wouldn't look back on. Goshen was still within four points with 80 seconds to go, but the Cougars pulled away and survived the upset-minded Maple Leafs with a seven-point win.
 
Michael Johnson had an incredible shooting performance. He made 14 of his 18 attempts and scored 32 points. "When Michael gets to his spots, he's very efficient," head coach Jon Tropf shared. He also had four rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Ryan Mansbarger scored 22 and shot 60%. Coach Tropf was proud of the way Mansbarger built off his 18-point performance against Roosevelt on Tuesday night. Elias Ramirez added 13 points, five boards, and six assists.
 
Despite the fantastic shooting by the Maple Leafs, the Cougars had some great scoring on their own. Antwaan Cushingberry scored 31 and was 8-14 from the field, 4-5 from three, and 11-13 from the free-throw line. Goshen was 8.0% better shooting from the field than Saint Francis and 6.5% better from behind the arc. USF was 11.4% better at the free-throw line. The Cougars also scored 20 points off of Goshen turnovers. The Maple Leafs had just four points off turnovers.
 
"I really believe in our ability to score the ball," Tropf said, "but we still need to improve defensively. We did not do a good job protecting dribble penetration – and that cost us."
 
Saint Francis (9-0, 1-0 CL) came into the match having just moved into the number one slot in the NAIA poll on Wednesday. They had scored 100+ points in a game on three occasions this season.
 
Goshen (2-6, 0-1 CL) will play at Taylor on Tuesday, November 23 at 7:00 pm. The next home contest for the Leafs will be on Saturday, December 4. Goshen will play Spring Arbor at 3:00 pm. The women will play at 1:00 that day in the first part of the doubleheader.