UPLAND, Ind. - Grace’s men’s basketball team held Taylor to its second-lowest scoring output of the season during an 88-76 win on Saturday.
The Lancers were efficient on offense and held the Trojans to 44 percent shooting with a physical performance.
Grace outmuscled the Trojans, grabbing 10 more rebounds and scoring half of the team’s offense in the paint (44 points).
To begin Saturday’s matchup, Brett Sickafoose had the hot hand. The senior hit a 3-pointer on the first possession of the game, and he added two more treys over the next four minutes to give the Lancers a fast start.
The Lancers (8-3, 3-1 Crossroads League) held a lead for much of the opening half, but the lead was never greater than six.
The Trojans (8-3, 2-2 CL) hovered nearby and used two late triples to tie the score at 32s. But Gage Sefton scored for Grace in the final minute, allowing the Lancers to lead 34-32 at the intermission.
The teams shot similarly in the opening half with Grace at 44 percent and Taylor at 41 percent. Each side also had seven turnovers and shot three free throws apiece.
Grace’s physicality showed itself in the second half. The Lancers grabbed eight more rebounds and shot 23 free throws over the final 20 minutes.
Sefton helped power Grace’s offense to start the second half; he scored 11 points in the first 7:27 of the half, allowing the Lancers to build a six-point advantage.
The Trojans battled back, however, and trimmed Grace’s lead down to one with six minutes remaining.
Carter Stoltzfus provided a small cushion with a 3-pointer on the next play, and, after a defensive stop, Ian Scott scored in transition.
With just under five minutes left, Sickafoose hit his fourth 3-pointer of the game. Two minutes later, Brycen Graber picked out Hunter Walston for a layup as the Lancers opened up an 11-point lead.
Grace closed out the game from the free throw line. The Lancers made nine of their final 10 free throws.
Grace finished the game shooting 53 percent and 42 percent from the 3-point line. Taylor shot 44 percent overall and 35 percent on 3s.
Sefton led all players with 24 points and eight rebounds, and Scott amassed 15 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds and 2 steals.
Sickafoose scored 13 points, and Walston notched 10 points.
Graber produced 6 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot, In Raasch had 6 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists, and Justin DeGraaf and Stoltzfus each scored seven points off the bench.

Lancers Battle To Road Win At TU
UPLAND, Ind. - Grace’s women’s basketball team won a hard-fought game at Taylor on Saturday, 81-76.
The Lancers (6-3, 1-3 Crossroads League) used 43 combined points from Morganne Houk and Peyton Murphy to power past the Trojans.
The teams could barely be separated in the first quarter. The Lancers held a slight lead for much of the period, but the Trojans used a late 7-0 spurt to pull ahead.
Sophia Morrison scored the final points of the quarter, but Taylor still led 18-16.
The Trojans scored on their first four possessions of the second quarter, building up a 24-17 lead.
But the Lancers used a 7-0 run of their own to erase the deficit. Morrison scored three points during the spurt.
Taylor held a one-point edge (36-35) at halftime. Houk had 13 points to lead the Lancers at the break.
Grace’s offense was at its most efficient in the third quarter. The Lancers committed just two turnovers and nabbed four steals.
Two quick triples from Murphy and Houk handed the Lancers a 48-44 lead.
With two minutes left in the third quarter, Grace used defense to fuel its offense. Steals from Murphy and Maddy Poynter led to fastbreak layups, and the Lancers built an 11-point cushion.
The Trojans ended the quarter on a flurry, however. Taylor buried a trio of 3-pointers over the final 110 seconds of the quarter, slashing Grace’s lead to three by the end of the quarter. TU shot 5 of 7 on 3s in the period to stay within striking distance.
Taylor scored four straight points to begin the fourth quarter, pulling ahead by one.
The Lancers countered with a critical 9-0 run to seize control. Morrison and Murphy combined for the nine points, including an and-1 from Murphy to lift Grace to a 67-59 lead with 6:59 to play.
Grace forced its way to the free throw line throughout the fourth quarter, giving the Lancers a consistent source of offense.
Kensie Ryman buried a pivotal 3-pointer with 3:20 remaining in the game, and the Lancers took care of the rest from the foul line.
Grace went 12 of 13 from the free throw line (92.3 percent) in the final period, allowing Grace to secure the five-point win.
Murphy was a monster in the box score with 21 points, 14 rebounds, 6 steals, 3 assists and 1 blocked shot.
Houk tallied 22 points, 5 steals, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, and Morrison had 12 points, 3 boards and 2 steals.
Ryman finished with nine points and two assists, Poynter scored eight, and Bekah Marshall notched 7 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
Grace survived Taylor shooting 50 percent on 3-pointers (10 of 20). The Lancers forced Taylor into 23 turnovers, scoring 22 points off those miscues.
“I thought we looked more like ourselves tonight. It’s been a tough stretch, but our ladies played with an aggressive mindset,” said Grace head coach Dan Davis. “We were gritty, and our team showed a lot of character which doesn’t surprise me at all. I’m proud of the way we competed tonight.”
Next week, Grace will play at home on Friday at 11 a.m. against Cleary. Friday’s games are part of a doubleheader with the men’s team. The earlier start time will allow local elementary school students to attend the game, packing the arena for a memorable experience.