BY: Michael Shipma

Poor free throw shooting was a thorn in the side for the Goshen boy’s basketball team as they fell 38-44 at home to area opponent Elba High School on Friday night.

The Eagles (11-8, 2-2 Area 5) struggled from the free throw line, shooting just 2-10 in the fourth quarter. After falling behind early, Goshen battled back to make things close, but weren’t able to gain a lead over the Tigers down the stretch.

“It really just came down to free throws and turnovers,” said head coach Ethan Carroll. “We turned the ball over in the first quarter and couldn’t score, which gave them a cushion in the first half. We came back in the fourth quarter, but we weren’t able to finish.”

Offensively, both teams struggled from the field, resulting in a low-scoring affair in which Elba had the slight edge. After only scoring six points in the opening quarter, Goshen started to find its rhythm in the second quarter, putting up 12.

The Eagles were led by sophomore guard Mike Hollis, who scored 12 points and hauled in four rebounds, and senior forward Shelby Styron, who scored eight points to go along with five rebounds.

Elba owned a slim lead on the road for most of the game, but a second half comeback by Goshen made things interesting in the closing minutes. The Eagles had a major height advantage down low, but were unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities, in particular from the free throw line.

As a team, Goshen shot just 7-21 from the free throw line.

With the loss, Goshen will most likely lose the chance to have home court advantage in the Area 5 championship tournament at the end of the season.

The Eagles will stay at home for the next game on Monday morning when they take on Brantley High School. Tipoff is at 11 a.m.