WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Becky Williford scored a game-high 26 points, but the Roosevelt women's basketball team couldn't rally in a close contest against Goshen (Ind.) despite a strong second-half effort in an 82-76 loss to open the Bennigan's Terry Polston Hoops for Hope Tournament hosted by Grace (Ind.) on Friday.

Paige Gallimore added 15 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers (3-2), who fell behind to the Leafs (7-1) early after the latter started the game with a 9-0 burst.

Roosevelt kept clawing back, using a 10-point advantage in the paint and a big turnaround in shooting (35 percent in the first half, 56 percent after halftime) to outscore the Leafs in the final two periods and eventually get within three with just over seven minutes left in the fourth after Diamond Copeland split a pair of free throws.

The Leafs answered every Roosevelt run, though, as the rest of the game remained a multi-possession lead for Goshen that the Lakers couldn't chop down any further.

Williford made 10 of 17 from the field, including 4 of 8 from downtown, to pace the Lakers' rally before fouling out

"We fought until the clock reached zero," said Roosevelt head coach Keisha Newell. "I am proud of how we responded to being down early. I don't think anyone doubted the opportunity we had to win that game.

"We are getting better and better and are focusing on putting together four solid defensive quarters together."

Liz Tecca led five Goshen players in double figures with 20 points, and 32 of Goshen's points came by way of bench production.

While turnovers were nearly even at 15-14, Goshen capitalized a bit more with a 20-7 advantage in points off of takeaways.

Roosevelt rounds out the Hoops for Hope event on Saturday against the host Lancers inside the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center at 1 p.m. Eastern/12 p.m. Central.