KOKOMO, Ind. –
Michael Johnson led all players on the court with 26 points, but IU-Kokomo took care of the Goshen men's basketball team on Wednesday night, winning 98-60.
"In basketball and life, there are some times where you have to take it on the chin," said head coach
Jon Tropf. "That's what happened tonight."
The Leafs took the lead early on, but the Cougars quickly erased it. IU-Kokomo had an 18-2 run in the middle of the first, taking what was a 16-12 lead and bringing it to 34-14. Goshen responded with a 9-0 run of their own – with six points coming from
Michael Johnson and a three-pointer from
Elias Ramirez. But they still trailed at the break, 48-33.
Goshen (5-11, 1-3 CL) was within 12 points with under 12 minutes to go before the Cougars went on to win 98-60. "We fought hard for 30 minutes but could not sustain and finish," Tropf added. "These games can be learning opportunities. Hopefully, we will do that."
Michael Johnson scored more points than any player on the court. In addition to his 26 points, he had four rebounds, two assists, a steal, and just one turnover in 37 minutes on the court. He had a shooting percentage of 63%.
Along with
Michael Johnson,
Robert Sanders and
Elias Ramirez made up the bulk of Goshen's scoring. Sanders had 14 points, three rebounds, and four assists. Ramirez added 12 points, three rebounds, and three assists.
The Cougars (15-3) had four double-digit scorers – Chris Chin, Trequan Spivey, Julien Hunter, and Hunter Jackson. They had 45 points off the bench, shot 59% from the field, and 53% behind the line. The Cougars, who were 5
th in the NAIA in opponent three-point percentage, held Goshen to shooting 26% behind the arc. IU-Kokomo advances their home record this season to 9-2.
This game concludes non-conference play for the Maple Leafs and wraps up their games in the 2021 calendar year. Goshen will next play on Tuesday, January 4, at #22 Marian. The start time for the Crossroads League matchup is 7:00 pm. Goshen is already 1-3 in league play. The next home match for GC is Wednesday, January 12, at 8:00 pm against Grace.