Grace’s Offense Sizzles In Upset Of No. 8 MarianWINONA LAKE – Grace College’s men’s basketball team added another ranked upset to its portfolio on Saturday.
The Lancers impressed in a 98-83 victory over No. 8 Marian at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center, leading for nearly the entire game.
Charlie Warner scored a season-high 28 points in an efficient performance. He shot 10-of-14 from the floor, 4-of-6 on 3-pointers and 4-of-4 on free throws.
The Lancers (14-8, 6-4 Crossroads League) are now in a four-way tie for third place in the league standings. Grace just concluded a seven-game stretch against Top 25 opponents, going 3-4 during that period.
The game started evenly, despite an early batch of 3-pointers from Grace. Jaret Sons, Myles Johnson, Warner and Hank Smith all hit triples in the opening nine minutes.
Grace gained its first separation midway into the first half. Grace unleashed a 14-2 run over a four-minute flurry.
Cody Holmes scored four quick points to start the run, and Johnson added five points in a row. Sons buried a triple, lifting the Lancers to their largest lead of the half at 32-17.
The Knights (16-5, 7-3 CL) kept within range but still trailed 44-34 at halftime. Grace shot 62 percent as a team in the half, including 50 percent on 3-pointers. The Lancers also assisted on 14 of their 18 made field goals. Warner’s 12 points led all players.
Marian, conversely, made 38 percent as a team and 33 percent from beyond the arc.
The second half was a case study in a patient, efficient offense for Grace. The Lancers consistently found matchups to exploit, rarely forcing shots.
Grace ripped off 54 second-half points, shooting 60 percent after halftime.
The Lancers slowly ballooned their cushion, eventually leading by as many as 24 points after a Warner triple with 6:31 remaining.
The Knights attempted a last-gasp rally, managing to trim their deficit to 12. But Grace scored eight points over the final three minutes to ice the win.
Warner, who scored 16 second-half points, was one of five Lancers to score in double figures. Sons finished with 17 points, 6 assists and 6 boards after hitting 5-of-9 from downtown.
Johnson picked up a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 6-of-7 from the floor with a trio of 3-pointers.
Deaton tallied 13 points and three assists, Matt Jennings amassed 12 points, 7 assists and 2 steals, and Braxton Linville added six points and six dimes.
The Lancers will head next to Goshen at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
No. 4 Knights get best of Grace
WINONA LAKE – Grace’s women’s basketball could not piece together the upset on Saturday, falling to No. 4 Marian 93-60.
Grace’s offense was largely muted in the first half as the teams played almost evenly after halftime.
Vironnica Drake led the Lady Lancers (14-8, 5-5 Crossroads League) with 16 points, and Maddie Ryman had 15 points.
Grace had a forgettable performance in the first quarter. The Lady Lancers were sloppy at the start with two turnovers and four missed shots over the first six possessions.
Drake’s jumper broke Grace’s slump, but Marian led 11-3 after five minutes of play.
Grace trailed 23-8 after the first quarter. The Lady Lancers shot 3-of-12 from the floor and made just one of their five 3-point attempts.
Ryman was a bright spot offensively, scoring five of the team’s eight points off the bench.
The second quarter had a similar story. The Lady Lancers were held scoreless for the first five minutes of the period.
The Knights (19-3, 8-2 CL) took advantage with 19 straight points. Brooke Treadway ended the drought with a layup with 4:35 left in the half, but Grace faced a 42-10 deficit at that point.
Grace did find its offense to end the half, but the home team trailed 49-19 at halftime.
Ryman had nine points to lead Grace, and Treadway added four. Grace could only muster six points from its starting unit to start the half.
The Lady Lancers shot 20 percent from the floor with 11 turnovers; Marian shot 45 percent overall.
Grace’s attack was significantly better in the third quarter. The Lady Lancers bettered their entire output from the first half, scoring 23 points in the period.
Drake gave Grace a boost with seven early points after halftime; the senior guard had 11 points in the quarter. Micaela Box added four late four throws in the period.
Marian scored 23 points in the third quarter to maintain a comfortable margin.
The fourth quarter was played evenly as the Knights coasted to the victory.
Drake’s 16 points came with six boards and two steals, and Ryman amassed 15 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Treadway scored eight points off the bench, Kyannah Stull had seven points and two assists, and Kaylie Warble added eight boards.
Grace will hit the road next week, playing at Goshen on Wednesday and at Huntington on Saturday.
Three records felled in Illinois for Grace Track
NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Grace’s track and field team took on the Snow Day Invitational on Friday at North Central College.
The Lancers set three school records in the indoor meet.
Suzanne Sickafoose set a new record in the 600-meter race, placing third in a time of 1:42.93.
Dylan Felger beat his own school record in the 200, crossing the finish line in 22.51 seconds.
Lyne Camara impressed in the women’s 200. She qualified for NAIA Nationals with a time of 25.86, placing first and bettering her own school record in the process.
The Lancers had several other first-place finishes in the evening. The men’s distance relay team of Isaac Beatty, Felger, Kyle Smith and Korry Hamlin won in 10:38.00. Smith also won the 600 in 1:23.69.
Walker Hobbs claimed the shot put with a heave of 46-feet-9.5, and Nordia Campbell’s PR of 7.98 seconds won the 60 dash.
Isaac Brown was the final winner, capturing the high jump by clearing 6-7.5.
“In addition to the records and event victories, we had several other personal bests established, which confirms that we continue to improve,” said Grace head coach Jeff Raymond. “That's exciting as we have a long season in front of us.”
The Lancers’ next meet is Saturday with the Grand Valley Open in Michigan.
