GOSHEN, Ind. – Northwestern Ohio shot 51% from the field and 58% from three as they rallied from 17 down to defeat the Maple Leafs men's basketball team on their season opener on Saturday. Goshen's Greg Johnson II finished with 26 points and six steals.
 
Goshen had a seven-point lead a little past the midway point in the first half, but an 11-1 run took that lead up to 17. Caleb Wright hit a three from the corner of the "G" emblem at center court that rattled in at the buzzer to send Goshen to the locker room with a 47-34 advantage.
 
The lead was still in double-digits for the Leafs with 11 minutes to go, but the Racers went on a 9-0 run to cut the deficit to three. They took the lead with six and a half minutes to go, and the teams started to go back and forth, but UNOH took the trip back to Ohio with an 84-81 victory.
 
The Racers shot just 63% from the free-throw line but were 11-19 from three and over 50% from the field. The Leafs lost their footing behind the arc in the second half. They scored ten first-half threes but had just two in the second half. Greg Johnson II made eight of his 14 attempts and had 26 points, six steals, four assists, and three rebounds. Elias Ramirez had 19 points. Drew Hackman totaled nine rebounds, and Clayton MacLagan scored 13 points off the bench.
 
Goshen lost at UNOH last year by 16 points. The Leafs are at IU-South Bend on Wednesday, November 2, at 6:00 pm as a part of the Crossroads/Chicagoland Challenge. The next home game is on November 15.