WINONA LAKE, Ind. - A classic Crossroads League clash went against Grace’s men’s basketball team on Wednesday night.
The No. 6 Lancers lost 84-82 against No. 14 Huntington in a physical, gritty battle at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center.
The loss snaps a seven-game winning streak for the Lancers (20-5, 12-3 CL), who move into second place in the league standings with three games remaining.
Ian Raasch was a dominant force, racking up 28 points with three steals. He shot 10 of 13 from the floor and 8 of 9 from the foul line.
The teams were statistically even in most major categories. Grace shot 57 percent from the floor while Huntington made 60 percent. The Foresters (20-5, 10-5 CL) had two more rebounds and two fewer turnovers than Grace.
Grace led for the majority of the first half. The Lancers held the lead for over 17 of the 20 first-half minutes, but Grace was unable to build a significant cushion.
The Lancers' largest lead was just six throughout the half.
The Foresters kept pace by shooting at a blistering pace. Huntington made a sizzling 70 percent of its field goals in the first half (16 of 23), which included two missed shots in the waning seconds of the half.
Grace shot well on its own by making 56 percent as a team.
The Lancers twice built a six-point edge in the first half, the last time being an and-1 from Raasch with seven minutes left in the half.
Huntington battled back quickly to tie the score. Brett Sickafoose scored the final five points of the half for Grace, putting the Lancers ahead 41-38 as the game reached halftime.
Sickafoose led all players at the break with 12 points, and Raasch scored 11.
The teams could barely be separated in the second half, exchanging turns with a small lead.
Midway into the half, Huntington cobbled together several defensive stops. Grace missed four of five shots during a two-minute stint along with a turnover, and the Foresters capitalized by claiming a 68-62 lead.
Grace responded with a flurry of offense, going on a 10-3 spurt to charge ahead. The final 6:03 of regulation was a one-score battle as the sides traded clutch baskets.
With Grace trailing by two, Raasch converted an and-1 and followed that up with another crafty layup to put the Lancers ahead 82-79 with 1:20 on the clock.
Unfortunately for Grace, the Lancers did not score again. Huntington made two free throws on its next possession, and Grace came up empty on offense on the ensuing play.
HU missed its first potential go-ahead shot, but the Foresters grabbed the offensive board and scored a layup with less than seven seconds left to claw ahead 83-82.
Grace was denied a potential-winning moment, having one shot blocked before turning the ball over on an inbounds play.
Ian Scott racked up 16 points, 5 steals, 4 assists and 2 steals, and Sickafoose made a trio of 3-pointers for his 17 points.
Brycen Graber tallied eight points with five assists, Hunter Walston tallied 8 points, 3 steals and 3 rebounds, and Carter Stoltzfus had 2 points, 5 boards and 3 assists.
The Lancers next travel to No. 10 Bethel for a marquee battle on Saturday at 3 p.m. The Pilots sit one game in front of the Lancers in the league standings.

Lancers Toppled By Foresters
WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace College’s women’s basketball team fell to the Huntington Foresters 79-48 on Wednesday afternoon.
The Lancers (10-15, 3-13 Crossroads League) entered Wednesday’s contest with just five scholarship players available due to a plethora of injuries over the past few weeks. Cora Armes was elevated from the JV squad and Grace volleyball players Sahara Bee and Anna Ballengee joined the team giving the Lancers eight active players.
The Foresters (14-11, 7-8 CL) started Wednesday’s contest out on an 8-0 run before Bekah Marshall got the Lancers on the board. Maddy Poynter also scored with a nifty move in the paint but Grace trailed 12-4 at the midpoint of the quarter.
The Lancers and Foresters traded points at the charity stripe and a late trifecta from Marshall sent the game into the quarter break with Grace trailing 15-8.
Peyton Murphy started the second frame off with another 3-point field goal but her trifecta was immediately answered by the Foresters on the other end.
Huntington, who shot 52 percent in the quarter, saw their lead grow to as many as 15 points before the resilient Lancer squad mustered a response.
Kensie Ryman started a fast break with a steal and set up Morganne Houk for an easy lay up with a well placed pass. Houk also had the game’s next basket this time doing it herself after grabbing a defensive rebound and going coast-to-coast for the score.
Marshall continued her impressive performance with a trifecta that cut the Huntington lead to eight points thanks to Grace’s 7-0 run.
The Foresters would answer with a 8-2 run over their own, only broken up by a jump shot from Ryman, as they carried a 38-24 lead into the half.
The Foresters started the second half on fire, connecting on three straight shots from beyond the arc. Marshall was able to find her touch from range and Bee grabbed an offensive rebound and converted the second-chance points to momentarily pull the game back to within 20 points.
Huntington continued to burn the nets from deep shooting at a 50 percent clip from beyond the arc in the frame.
Poynter had four unanswered points for Grace late in the stanza but another 3-point shot for Huntington at the horn sent the game into the fourth and final frame with the Foresters carrying a 60-37 lead.
Grace struggled from the floor in the fourth quarter, connecting on just three shots.
The Foresters would match their biggest lead of the contest at the final whistle as they put the finishing touches on the 79-48 victory.
Grace finished the game shooting 25 percent from the floor while Huntington hit at 43 percent. The Lancers were outrebounded 50-42 and were outscored 34-16 in the paint.
Marshall tied for the game high with 18 points. Houk and Poynter each had 10 points. Murphy added nine rebounds.
Grace will be back in action on Saturday against Bethel.