Story by Fred Stabbert III
GOSHEN – January 22 — Fueled by a raucous home crowd and the sharpshooting of Ian Schupp, Paul Flynn and Wesley Welle, the Goshen Gladiators slipped past the Sullivan West Bulldogs, 64-58, in a non-league clash last Friday.
Schupp, Goshen’s quick point guard, poured in 21 points to go along with 10 assists to lead the home team.
Flynn and Welle each netted 12 for Goshen. Flynn’s points came from outside the arc as he netted four first quarter three-pointers to stake Goshen to a 20-12 lead.
Welle did the dirty work down low, scoring on five layups and two foul shots while muscling for rebounds throughout the game.
The game was marked by the wild cheering of both Sullivan West’s Dawg Pound against Goshen’s student body and large cheerleading squad.
Outnumbered 4 to 1, Sullivan West fans held their own in the cheering column until the final seconds of the game when the inevitable, “Warm up the bus!” chant could be heard throughout the gym.
The Bulldogs were led by senior guard Matt Cardona, who poured in game-high 27 points, including six three-pointers. He also hit 5-8 from the charity line.
But it was foul shooting which ultimately doomed Sullivan West, hitting just 9-21 free throws for the game.
Goshen went an impressive 10-13 from the line, hitting for 77 percent.
It was the third Class A school which Sullivan West had played within a week, and only their first loss to the bigger competition.
The Bulldogs will now host The Family School this Friday.