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Cougars Open MCC Play with 86-81 Win over Goshen

Nov. 23, 2004

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – USF shot 73% from the floor in the second half to overcome a four-point halftime deficit and charge past visiting Goshen 86-81 in both teams’ Mid-Central Conference opener. The Cougars (5-3, 1-0 MCC) took control of the game by getting to the line 25 times and out-rebounding the Maple Leafs (7-3, 0-1 MCC) 18-10 after intermission.

USF won the opening tip and went right at Goshen. Buckets by Virgil Akers and Chase Holden preceded a Nick Ankenbruck three-pointer to give the home team a 7-0 lead before the Leafs looked a part of the game. By the eight-minute mark, USF had settled into a 10-point advantage and had designs on blowing the game open in the first half.

From that point, it was all Goshen before the break. The Maple Leafs went on a 20-2 run and turned a 28-18 Cougar lead into a 38-30 advantage with just over a minute remaining. Consecutive buckets late stopped the bleeding and USF marched into the locker room down four, 38-34.

"They were making us catch the ball farther away from the basket and we took some off-balance shots," coach Jeff Rekeweg said. "We got stagnant on the perimeter."

Back-and-forth in the early stages of the half, the Cougars slowly inched away in the middle of the period, thanks in part to containing Goshen scoring machine Eric Walsh. After going 6-8 from the floor in the first half, Walsh made just two field goals after halftime. He did finish with a game-high 28 points, but all but four of his second-half points came at the line.

Arguably the biggest bucket of the game was Trey Eaton’s three-pointer that gave USF a 78-67 lead with 3:52 remaining. Eaton struggled in his season debut (1-4 FG, 4 points) but his first field goal of the year could not have come at a better time.

From there, the teams traded trips to the free-throw line as Goshen attempted to get back in the ballgame. Jordan Buller’s 30-footer with less than two minutes to play gave the Leafs hope, but Holden’s rebound of a Goshen second-chance opportunity sealed the win for the Cougars.

Holden again led USF with 19 points, six rebounds and five assists. Akers pitched in with a season-best 16 and Ankenbruck added 10. Walsh was supported by Buller’s 16 points and Paul Kopanski’s 11 for Goshen.

"When we regained control, the majority of our baskets were Chase, Virg and Eric finishing shots inside," Rekeweg said, especially Holden, who scored 15 points in the second half. Defensively, Goshen was scoring, but they weren't getting the easy shots we gave up when they outscored us 20-2 during a nine minute span."

The Cougars hit the road for a post-holiday non-conference affair with Cedarville University (OH) on Sat., Nov. 27. Game time is 3 p.m. in Cedarville, Ohio. 

 -Go USF-

 

 
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