LAKE WALES, Fla. – The Maple Leafs women's basketball team has concluded their Florida trip and enters the Christmas holiday coming off of a win. They beat Warner University on Sunday afternoon 77-66.
 
Goshen had a dominant performance in the first half. They rushed off to a quick 7-0 lead, which caused the Royals to call a timeout. Goshen outscored Warner in the first quarter 21-12 and 24-13 in the second quarter. GC knocked down four of their six three-point attempts in the second and led by 20 at the break.
 
Warner came back with a vengeance in the third quarter. Despite scoring just 25 in the entire first half, they put up 27 in the third quarter alone. They shot 64%, while Goshen shot just 20% in the quarter. Goshen saw a 24 point lead whittle down to a six-point lead in the second half. However, the Leafs held on to win by 11, 77-66.
 
Goshen brought down 17 offensive rebounds, and Warner had just two. Taniece Chapman had a double-double. She had 16 points and 11 rebounds, with six coming from the offensive end. Janara Flowers earned her second straight start and had a second consecutive double-digit performance. She posted 12 points all from behind the arc and had a season-high five rebounds.
 
"Taniece and Janara looked like veterans today and would either stop Warner's runs with a counter score or defensively get a stop right when we needed one," said head coach Stephanie Miller. She also applauded the veteran experience shown by senior Kiarah Copeland.
 
Graysen Cockerham tied a season-high with 22 points and tied a career-high with five made three-pointers. "Graysen played lights out today and hit big bucket after big bucket when we needed it."
 
Warner (3-7) came into the game ranked 13^th in the NAIA in defensive rebounds averaging 31.4 per game, but they only came up with 24 this afternoon. The Leafs defense forced them to shoot just 2-15 from distance. "I felt we did a solid job getting into our players and being physical," said Miller. "We definitely made them feel uncomfortable."
 
Goshen also held on to the ball. With only ten turnovers, the Leafs tied a season-low. "We didn't give away many possessions against their press, and that was huge in terms of game management," Miller shared.
 
The Royals had played another Crossroads League team at home on December 16. Warner defeated Bethel that day - 94-86.
 
Goshen will now return from Florida with a win and valuable experiences against two ranked opponents. Miller was most impressed with the team's focus throughout the trip. "We have been able to be professional every game and found a way to focus even with the distractions." She emphasized how it is no small task for a team to be on the road for a week and maintain their concentration, but she was proud that the Leafs could do that. The challenging competition will help Goshen prepare well for Crossroads League opponents in the coming months.
 
Miller also discussed how being on the road together had helped the team find their identity better. "We shared a big house and lived under one roof, shared meals, experienced Disney World together, and had an amazing day at Clearwater Beach. Many of the girls had never had some of these experiences, and I am so grateful for what a trip like this does for team chemistry, trust, and overall culture."
 
Goshen (7-8, 2-2 CL) is on Christmas break now and will be in action at home on Thursday, December 30. They will face Holy Cross College at 3:00 pm in Gunden Gymnasium. That will be the last non-conference game remaining in the regular season. We'll see you then, and have a Merry Christmas!