CHICAGO, Ill. - Elias Ramirez knocked down six three-pointers and Goshen shot 48.5% behind the arc on New Year's Eve in Chicago, but Saint Xavier came through with a 91-82 win.

The Cougars scored the first five points but Elias Ramirez responded with three-pointers on back-to-back possessions. Goshen brought the lead up to five points on multiple occasions, but a 17-3 first-half run put Saint Xavier up 40-31.

Ramirez came through with another important three-pointer with five seconds to go in the half, which pulled GC within one. The Cougars led 45-44 at the break. Goshen shot 52% in the first half and 69% behind the arc.

SXU had a 12-5 run to start the second half but the Maple Leafs pulled within two with under 14 minutes to go. A Greg Johnson jumper tied the game 66-66 with just under ten minutes left. A 9-0 Saint Xavier run gave the home team a 77-68 edge, and they had their first double-digit lead at 81-71. They held off the Leafs for the rest of the game as they went on to win 81-71.

Ramirez finished the afternoon with 23 points. 11 of his 13 shots were three-point attempts and he made six of them. Greg Johnson scored 18 points on 7-11 shooting. Caleb Wright ended with 12 points and four assists after fouling out. Kaden Johnson had seven points and ten rebounds, and Isaac Miller totaled ten points and five rebounds.

While the teams had similar field goal and three-point percentages, Saint Xavier went 30 for 34 from the free-throw line. Goshen made ten of 14 free throws. The Leafs made 48.5% of their three-pointers - their second-highest percentage in a game this season.

That wraps up the Maple Leafs athletic events for the 2022 calendar year. The men's basketball team is back in action on the road at Taylor on Wednesday, January 4, at 7:00 pm.