Grace’s men’s basketball team opened up tournament play in Kansas City with a resounding win over Northwestern on Thursday.

Grace College’s women’s basketball team advanced to the NCCAA National Title in dramatic fashion with a 75-73 win over Oakland City, thanks to a buzzer beating shot from Kensie Ryman.

Bursting onto the scene as a freshman three years ago, Manchester junior forward Gavin Betten has gotten better in each year of his high school career. This season was his best yet, as the big man averaged a double-double, led the Squires in almost every major statistic and was a key factor in Manchester winning its first Three Rivers Conference title since the 2014-15 season. When you put all of these together, Betten is an obvious choice for the 2024 Times-Union Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

Hosting the NCCAA Tournament for the final time after a 15-year run, the Grace women’s basketball entered the week hoping to make one final run to end their hosting duties on a high note. Facing off against No. 5 Southwestern Christian as the No. 4 seed, the Lady Lancers were able to shake off a sluggish start and come back for a 79-73 victory.

A scorer that can get it done down low as well as at the three point line. A prolific rebounder that nearly averaged a double-double for the season. One of the leaders on a team that went undefeated in the Northern Lakes Conference for the third straight campaign. These are just some of the qualities of Warsaw junior forward Brooke Winchester, who has been selected as the 2024 Times-Union Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

As Grace College prepares to say goodbye to the NCCAA Tournament after hosting it for one final time this week, a pair of Lady Lancer seniors are preparing to say goodbye as well. Maddie Ryman and Kaylee Patton, the two winningest players in program history, will play their final games at the Manahan Orthopeadic Capital Center over the next few days, giving the two players the rare opportunity to not only close out their careers on their home court, but in front of their community.

Grace’s men’s basketball team led from start to finish in a 106-61 rout of Union in the NAIA Second Round.

For the second straight year, the Grace men’s basketball team has been the cream of the crop in the NAIA, and for the second straight year, the Lancers were rewarded for their efforts by being awarded a host site for the opening rounds of the NAIA Tournament as a No. 1 seed. Facing off against No. 16 seed Washington Adventist, Grace was able to overcome a sluggish start, exploding late in the second half to advance to the next round on Saturday night with a 85-65 victory.

Grace College’s softball started Crossroads League play with a statement win on Tuesday afternoon.

For the past 15 years, men’s and women’s basketball players from the top schools in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) have called Winona Lake and Warsaw home for one week in March with local Grace College playing host to the championship tournaments.

A game of streaks between two championship caliber basketball teams usually ends when one team’s late run wears out the opponent to pull away with a victory whose margin of victory makes the win look far more convincing than it was.

Grace College’s softball team capped off a successful six-game road trip in memorable fashion on Friday afternoon.

The Lancers started what will be a six-game week in Florida, with a 3-1 victory over Fort Lauderdale before dropping their second game of the day 11-3 to St. Thomas.

The Tigers are into the regional round for the first time since 2017, when they topped East Chicago Central in double overtime but lost to Merrillville in the championship game that night.

The 2023-24 season has been filled with plenty of highs for the Grace men’s basketball team. The Lancers had lost just once this season opposed to 29 wins coming into Tuesday night’s championship game for the Crossroads League Conference tournament. In that title game, the Lancers left no doubt as to who the league’s top dog was, handling Indiana Wesleyan 101-80 to make it an even 30 wins on the year as well as continuing their reign as kings of the conference.

Blood, Sweat, and Tears – a band whose music was at its greatest popularity in the late 1960s and early 1970s – would have been a fitting form of halftime entertainment at Elkhart’s Hoosier basketball temple, North Side Gymnasium. The Warsaw Tigers boys’ basketball team captured its 41st sectional title in the program’s history at this hallowed Hoosier Hysteria venue, defeating the Penn Kingsmen 46-34 Saturday night in the IHSAA Class 4A Sectional 4 battle.

Playing IHSAA 3A Sectional 18 on their home court, the Tippecanoe Valley boys basketball team looked to avenge last season’s postseason loss to John Glenn in the title game on Saturday night. The Vikings started slow, mounted a furious comeback in the fourth quarter, but were unable to come away victorious in a 35-30 loss.

Grace’s men’s basketball team beat Marian in the Crossroads League Tournament for the third straight season on Saturday.

Fans of Warsaw boys basketball have been waiting quite some time to see their team win a sectional basketball game, with the team’s last postseason victory coming in 2020. Using a fast start and never looking back, this year’s Tigers put that wait to bed in the semifinal game of IHSAA 4A Sectional 4 at North Side Gym on Friday night, defeating Concord 48-35 to advance to Saturday night’s championship game.

The postseason began in ideal fashion for Grace’s men’s basketball team on Wednesday. The NAIA No. 1-ranked Lancers (28-1) powered past Taylor by the score of 75-58 in the quarterfinals of the Crossroads League Tournament.

A week ago, the Whitko boys basketball team defeated Manchester in both team’s final Three Rivers Conference game of the season. The win took away the Squires’ opportunity to win the TRC outright. On Wednesday night, just eight days after their last meeting, the Wildcats spoiled Manchester’s season once more, this time eliminating the Squires from IHSAA 2A Sectional 37 with a 63-42 win.

Grace College’s women’s basketball team had its stay in the Crossroads League Tournament ended in the quarterfinals on Tuesday night.

The only area team to begin sectional play on Tuesday night, the Wawasee boys basketball team began its playoff journey against host school Lakeland in the opening round of IHSAA 3A Sectional 20. Warrior fans have become accustomed to seeing their team compete in close games and this one was no different. In the end, the Lakers were able to hold on for a 55-53 win to send Wawasee home.

Heading into the extremely competitive tournament that is IHSAA 4A Sectional 4, the Warsaw Tigers (17-5, 4-3 NLC) have plenty of reasons to be confident about their chances. They’re 4-1 against the sectional field. The team is one of four teams in the tournament to boast at least 15 wins.

With no conference to call home during its transition season away from the Three Rivers Conference and into the new conference it will be a founding member of, the Tippecanoe Valley boys basketball team was able to put together quite the schedule for the 2023-24 season. The Vikings took on teams from all over the half of the state this winter, from Fort Wayne South Side to Wheeler. Lebanon to South Bend Washington. More times than not, Valley was able to answer the call, battling through the grueling, unorthodox schedule to head into the playoffs with a 15-8 record.