No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan Edges LancersWINONA LAKE – Grace College’s men’s basketball team was close Tuesday night.
The Lancers have been close so many times this season, veteran coach Jim Kessler is tired of hearing about it.
In nine Crossroads League games this season, the Lancers have lost seven times by nine points – a three-possession game – or less.
With an 81-76 loss to No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan University, the defending NAIA Division II national champion, Grace fell to 11-10 overall and 1-8 in league play.
The Lancers never led in the 40-minute contest, but they were never out of it either, as the Wildcats’ biggest lead was 11 points.
IWU, now 18-3 and 7-2 in the league standings, led 39-35 at halftime and outscored Grace just 42-41 in the second half.
“It wasn’t for a lack of effort,” said Kessler, whose team lost 92-86 in overtime at IWU on Nov. 20 when the Wildcats were ranked No. 1 in the country.
“I was really pleased with how we rebounded ... we outrebounded them (39-33). We did a good job on containing their transition part of the game, which we hadn’t before. I was disappointed we had 16 turnovers, and I?don’t know how many of those were offensive fouls.
“They have a terrific offensive team, they’re as good as anyone in the country. I thought we played them down to the wire. I thought we moved the ball well and got good looks. I was pleased with a lot of the things we did.”
The Lancers, who had three players score at least 17 points, did a lot of things well.
Everything but win the game.
“I thought we did what we needed to do,” said Kessler. “Unfortunately, Wesleyan made a couple more shots than we did, and when you have that many turnovers that’s how you give your opponent extra chances.
“That’s what we put up on the board, that we needed to get some extra chances. We had some second-chances, but we gave them back with turnovers.”
Logan Godfrey led the Lancers with 21 points, while Charlie Warner and Braxton Linville scored 19 and 17 points, respectively.
Haden Deaton scored nine points in the loss, and Jaret Sons finished with seven.
IWU was led by the duo of Kyle Mangas and Evan Maxwell.
Mangas, the former Warsaw Tigers standout and MVP of last year’s NAIA Division II national tournament, scored a game-high 27 points.
He was 9 of 13 from the field overall, 1 of 2 from the arc, and 8 of 11 at the free throw line, while adding five rebounds and four assists to his statline.
The 6-foot-10 Maxwell was 9 of 15 from the field and also pulled down eight rebounds.
“They’re both All-Americans, what can you say,” said Kessler. “Maxwell bulldozes you and backs you down ... I thought he should have had a number of offensive fouls. I don’t know what else you gotta do to guard a guy when he starts backing you down like that ... flop I guess, that’s what they did to us.
“Mangas is just a very good offensive player. He’s clever, he can shoot it, he moves well. He’s a great player, and they find him, too. He’s just very good.”
Joel Okafor scored 10 points for IWU, while Grant Smith and Canaan Coffey finished with seven points each.
Following Tuesday’s games in the 10-team Crossroads League, Spring Arbor is 8-1, while IWU?is 7-2, and Mt. Vernon Nazarene and Marian are 6-3.
The Lancers are in action again Saturday when they host Taylor at 3 p.m.
