LIMA, Ohio – Goshen's win streak came to a halt on Tuesday night in Lima, Ohio. The men's basketball team went back and forth with Northwestern Ohio in the first half, but the Racers prevailed 84-68.
The two teams entered the game evenly matched, both sporting a 4-8 record. They also were both coming off of noteworthy wins. Goshen had their best offensive performance since 2017 in their previous match against Lincoln Christian. Meanwhile, UNOH allowed just 55 points to Siena Heights in their last game – the fewest they had allowed against an opponent since January 2020.
The lead changes in the first half verified that the teams were comparable. Neither team took more than a four-point lead, and they finished the half where they started, tied 38-38.
They continued to go back and forth in the first few minutes of the second half until the home team moved. When Northwestern Ohio had a 47-46 lead, they went on a 15-1 run in a matter of four minutes and 47 seconds. A game with seven ties and 16 lead changes now saw UNOH displaying a 62-47 lead. They maintained their momentum and won 84-68 in the end.
Four players scored in double-digits for the Leafs.
Gabriel McQuay played in just 14 minutes off the bench, but he scored 13 points from 5-9 shooting.
Austin Branagan also had 13 off the bench.
Michael Johnson led in points with 15 and rebounds with six. He only missed one of his eight shots from the night. Lastly,
Robert Sanders scored 11 and was a perfect 6-6 from the free-throw line.
As a team, Goshen (4-9, 1-3 CL) shot 83% from the free-throw line (19-23). They came into the game shooting nearly 77%, the 18
th best in the NAIA. While the free throws kept them in the game for a while, their second-half three-point shooting was the game-breaker. Goshen shot just 1-9 from distance in the second half. On the other hand, UNOH (5-8) made six of their ten free throw attempts in the second half.
Biggz Johnson led the Racers with 34 points. He shot 13-16 and was 7-10 from three. Hunter Bode came off the bench and added 22 points. He was 7-8 from the field, 3-3 behind the arc, and 5-5 from the charity stripe. Northwestern Ohio started the season 1-6, but they are now 4-2 in their last six games.
The Maple Leafs now embark on a fun trip to Arizona, playing two games in Phoenix. On Friday, December 17, they will face Park University Gilbert. The game will be at 10:00 pm eastern time, so be sure to adjust your sleep schedule accordingly. Then on Monday, December 20, they will take on SAGU American Indian College. That game will be at a more reasonable 8:00 pm eastern. They will have a break for Christmas when the team gets back before playing three more road games closer to home. Wednesday, January 12, will be the next time they're in Goshen when they battle Grace at 8:00 pm.
