PREP BASKETBALL: Goshen girls fight off Jimmies, boys lose big piece before loss

Jan. 16—ELKHART — Goshen didn't shoot well Tuesday night in the boys contest against Jimtown, but fighting to the end, the RedHawks dug themselves out of a deep hole before losing 47-38 to the Jimmies.

"Effort is there for sure, kids fought to the end for sure, we just have to have more achievement with that energy throughout the game," Goshen head coach Michael Wohlford said. "Basketball is the rare sport where you have to combine athleticism, toughness and high-level skill with big bodies around you and we weren't able to combine the effort we have with the high-level of skill tonight."

Jimtown, holding a 33-19 lead in the third quarter, began to show its colors when Goshen implemented its full court press. Layup by layup, steal by steal, the RedHawks began to dig themselves out and get the visiting crowd back in the game.

Andre Williams' layup at the 5:24 minute mark put Goshen within single digits for the first time since taking a 21-13 deficit into the locker room.

Soon, Goshen forced four straight Jimtown turnovers off the inbounds pass under the Goshen hoop. Gathering up the loose balls, the RedHawks started finishing at the rim, eventually shrinking the deficit to 41-38.

Gage Worthman got the ball on the next possession, but his drive to the hoop and successful layup attempt was ruled a charging violation as Jimtown's Dylan Frey sold a good fall to the floor. Instead of making it a one-point game, the Jimmies took possession. It ultimately led to a few trips to the line, sealing a 47-38 win over the RedHawks.

Before the game, senior forward and Goshen leading scorer and blocker Ryan Eldridge wheeled himself out on the court with a boot on his left leg. He revealed that Monday in practice he suffered the injury, likely ending his basketball career with the RedHawks.

"He's gonna go see the doctor on Monday but he's gonna be out for a while," Wohlford said about Eldridge's injury. "We played pretty similarly minus throwing the ball inside but we just missed some bunnies."

Losing the big man is not what the RedHawks needed, especially as they currently sit on a three-game losing streak following Tuesday's loss. Eldridge came in averaging a team-high 13 points a game and nearly two blocks a game.

With the newly created hole in the lineup, senior Merrill Weddell took his place inside.

The RedHawks stuck to driving lanes for most of the night with the Jimmies playing up on shooters. Levi Sawatzky played off that well, finishing with a smooth finish at the rim and converting difficult jumpers throughout the night.

"Our backcourt fought very hard tonight, they scored 26 of our 38 points," Wohlford said. "We're counting on them moving forward for our next couple of years, we just have to have other guys with them making plays for the rest of the year."

Jimtown was playing without key players Branden King and Will Spurgeon, making their roster much smaller. Still, after dropping a close game with Penn last week, the Jimmies recovered with a solid win over Goshen at home.

"Any win is a good win, but that's a well-coached NLC school and we're happy to survive that," Jimtown head coach Tyler Leighton said. "They turned up the pressure and they almost took it form us so we're really happy to come out of here."

Goshen was led in scoring by Sawatzky (15 points), joined by Braxton Cline (11), Worthman (6) and Williams (6). The RedHawks shot 13-of-39 from the floor and just 1-of-15 from past the arc. They added a solid 10-of-13 day at the charity stripe.

The RedHawks now move to 4-6 this season.

GIRLS WIN CLOSE CONTEST

The Goshen girls held strung in their battle with the Jimmies, winning on the road 41-39.

After trailing the whole game, Jimtown earned its first lead of the night in the final minute of the third quarter after Alexis Garretson completed a layup and the foul shot for a 32-31 advantage. At the end of the quarter, the Jimmies were in front 34-32.

Kyra Hill drained a 3-pointer on the left wing reclaim the RedHawks lead and Joelle Hochstetler added a pair of free throws to create a 39-35 advantage with just two minutes remaining in the game.

The game's final sequence shifted momentum quickly. With the RedHawks and Jimmies knotted at 39 with 44 seconds left, Goshen turned the ball over and gave the Jimmies the chance for the lead. That was until Hill ran the length of the court and blocked Jimtown's Natalie Butler at the rim, grabbing the board as well.

Pushing the ball in transition, Ava Yordy drove the left wing and scored the go-ahead layup with 20 seconds left. After a series of Jimtown timeouts and RedHawk fouls, the Jimmies Justyce Williams heaved the final shot, a 3-pointer that rimmed out, sending Goshen to its fourth straight win and its fifth in its last six attempts.

Hill led the scoring with 11 points, followed by Yordy (8), Hochstetler (6), Kaelyn Marcum (6), Yesi Medina (4), Rosier Herrera (2) and Dakota Powers (2).

Goshen moves to 10-9 on the year with just three games remaining this season.

The Goshen boys will return home for a Friday night battle with NorthWood. The Panthers will meanwhile host the Goshen girls Saturday in Nappanee.

PREP BOYS BASKETBALL

Goshen — 8; 5; 11; 14 — 38

Jimtown — 10; 11; 13; 13 — 47

PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL

Goshen — 11; 13; 8; 9 — 41

Jimtown — 11; 7; 16; 5 — 39

Reach Matt Lucas at 574-533-2151, ext. 240325, or at matt.lucas@goshennews.com.