LAKELAND, Fla. – The #20 Bryan Lions continue to be unbeaten this season after a win over the Maple Leafs. And while the Goshen women's basketball team was able to hang with the Lions for three quarters, a 35-point fourth quarter for Bryan separated them apart. The final score was 102-72.
Goshen got the ball rolling with a quick 7-2 lead with baskets by
Taniece Chapman,
Syanne Mohamed, and a three from
Kiarah Copeland. The Leafs built a 35-29 lead in the second quarter, but Bryan held a four-point advantage at the half. And while the Lions advanced their lead to 13 in the third quarter, Goshen hung around and was down just eight after three quarters – 67-59.
The lead was down to six with eight minutes to go, and it was looking like the undefeated Lions may not stay undefeated. However, they pulled through with a 13-0 run – part of a 33-9 run to end the game. Bryan made seven of their 11 three-point attempts in the fourth quarter, and Goshen was 0-6. They outrebounded GC in the fourth quarter 12-3.
Chapman scored 16 for Goshen with five rebounds and a couple of assists. Copeland had 13 points, shooting 2-3 from three and a perfect 3-3 from the free-throw line. Mohamed added eight points and five rebounds.
Bryan (12-0) came into the match ranked second in the NAIA in points per game (89.5), and they have now scored at least 97 points in over half of their games this season. The Lions like to shoot behind the arc. They were also second in the NAIA in three-pointers made per game (11.0) and tonight was no exception. They made 17 of their 39 attempts. They had beaten their previous opponents by an average of 27.3 points per game. They are also the only team that has beat #5 Southeastern University, which Goshen plays tomorrow.
Goshen (6-7, 2-2 CL) has done well with offensive rebounds this season (33
rd in the NAIA), and they won the category tonight 14-12. The Leafs also had more points in the paint by a 14-point margin (46-32).
The Leafs play their second match in the Southeastern University Christmas Invitational tomorrow against the host. They will face the Fire at 7:00 pm on Friday. They are also ranked - #4 in the NAIA. Goshen concludes its Florida trip on Sunday, December 19 at 1:00 at Warner University.
