GOSHEN, Ind. -- Chelsea Winner (JR/Maria Stein, Ohio) banked in the game-winning bucket with 2.2 seconds left as No. 19 Indiana Wesleyan University women’s basketball defeated No. 15 Goshen (Ind.) 61-59 in the Crossroads League Tournament Semifinals. Indiana Wesleyan advances to the league championship game and in the process clinched the team’s 14th straight trip to the NAIA DII National Championship. 

Game Vitals

• Score:  Indiana Wesleyan - 61   |   Marian - 59
• Records:  Indiana Wesleyan 25-7   |   Goshen 24-8
• NAIA Top- 25 Rank:  Indiana Wesleyan - No. 19   |   Goshen - No. 15
• Location:  Gunden Gym   |   Goshen College   |   Goshen, Indiana 
• Brief:  Chelsea Winner banked in the game-winning bucket with 2.2 seconds left as No. 19 Indiana Wesleyan University women’s basketball defeated No. 15 Goshen (Ind.) 61-59 in the Crossroads League Tournament Semifinals. Indiana Wesleyan advances to the league championship game and in the process clinched the team’s 14th straight trip to the NAIA DII National Championship.
   

What Went Down

• Indiana Wesleyan opened the night on a 12-2 run. The 10 point lead was the largest of the game for either team.
• Goshen trimmed the lead to three points by the end of the first quarter as Indiana Wesleyan led 18-15.
• Lynnia Noel hit one of two free throws for the Maple Leafs with 1:50 left in the second quarter. That free throw gave GC their first lead of the game at 35-34. The Maple Leafs led 37-36 at halftime.
• Neither team led by more than three points for the duration of the third quarter as Indiana Wesleyan led 47-45 at the end of the quarter.
• Goshen was held to zero points for the final 5:02 of the third quarter and without a field goal for the final 7:11.
• Goshen built their largest lead of five points on a Tyra Carver 3-pointer for a 57-52 lead with 4:09 left in the game.
• Jessica Brown (SR/Greenfield, Ind.) drained the game-tying 3-pointer with 29 seconds left for a 59-59 tie.
• Following a Goshen turnover with 22 seconds left, Indiana Wesleyan called timeout and advanced the ball. The final play went to Chelsea Winner who posted in the paint, performed a spin move, and banked in the game-winner with 2.2 seconds on the clock.
• Goshen had a chance to tie and their close in shot in the paint failed to go in as Indiana Wesleyan completed the late come-from-behind victory.
• Indiana Wesleyan finished the game on a 9-2 run for the 61-59 victory.
• Kelsey Key (JR/Anderson, Ind.) scored a team-best 14 points and Chelsea Winner finished with 13 points. Erika Isham (SR/Tekonsha, Mich.) had 8 points and 8 rebounds while Carlee Cottrell (SR/West Bloomfield, Mich.) dished out 6 assists.
• Goshen was limited to 33.9-percent (19 of 56) shooting, including just 24.1-percent (7 of 29) in the second half.
  
   

Extra! Extra!

• Top-seed Marian (Ind.) defeated Spring Arbor (Mich.) 78-50 in the other semifinal game.
• Marian clinched the first Crossroads League automatic bid to the NAIA DII National Championship by winning the regular season championship. With Marian advancing to the tournament championship game, Indiana Wesleyan secures the second automatic bid by facing Marian in the title game.
• Goshen averages 75.4 points per game. The 59 points scored on Friday is tied for their second lowest output of the season. Their season-low was 40 points in a loss to Indiana Wesleyan on February 3.
• The automatic bid to the NAIA DII National Championship is the 14th consecutive for Indiana Wesleyan, dating back to the 2002-03 season.
  
   

Next Time Out

• Indiana Wesleyan travels to Indianapolis, Indiana on Monday night to play No. 6 Marian (Ind.) in the Crossroads League Tournament Championship game. Both teams have clinched automatic bids to the NAIA DII National Championship in Sioux City, Iowa.