GOSHEN, Ind. – Goshen put up the most points they've scored in a game since December 2017 and went on to beat Lincoln Christian 99-64 at home on Saturday afternoon. The men's basketball team has won two straight after losing their previous seven contests.
The pivotal point in the game was the final four minutes of the first half. Goshen didn't allow the Red Lions to score at all in that time while scoring 17 for themselves. "We were able to get stops that led to getting scores in transition," said acting head coach
Kyle Capps. Head coach
Jon Tropf was out after recently celebrating the birth of his son, Nico.
"In practice, we talk about stop, score, stop. Get a stop, then we have to score, and then we have to get another stop," Capps added. "That's really where it was at – getting defensive stops leading into transition." The Maple Leafs held the Red Lions to shooting 39%.
Goshen (4-8, 1-3 CL) held a 20-point lead at the break and kept pressing the gas in the second half. They outscored Lincoln Christian 46-31 in that period. "In the second half, when we weren't getting as many stops, we were just moving the ball into the half-court," Capps shared. "Not keeping it stagnant, just keeping everything hot as we call it."
Austin Branagan,
Elias Ramirez, and
Michael Johnson combined to shoot 20-25 or 80% from the field. Branagan came off the bench to score 19, Ramirez totaled 18, and
Michael Johnson added 17 more. Goshen made 61.8% of their attempts as a team – their highest percentage against any opponent this season. The Leafs had just nine turnovers – the lowest in a game this season.
The 99 Goshen points are the most by the team in a game since December 9, 2017. In that game, they beat East-West University 117-65.
Lincoln Christian (3-9) played on Friday evening at Taylor University during the school's famous "Silent Night" game. LCU only lost by four points in that game, despite the Trojans moving to 23-1 all-time during Silent Night games.
This is the first of five non-conference games over winter break for Goshen. The Maple Leafs play at Northwestern Ohio on Tuesday, December 14, at 6:00 pm. Then they will travel to Arizona for a fun trip with a couple of basketball games included. The next home appearance won't be until Wednesday, January 12, against Grace at 8:00 pm.
