WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace College’s women’s basketball team fell to Crossroads League foe Bethel 77-64 on Saturday afternoon.
The Lancers (9-8, 2-5 CL) jumped out to a nine-point lead in the opening frame, but they were undone over the middle quarters as they were outscored by 19 points across the second and third frames.
“This was a frustrating loss,” commented Grace head coach Dan Davis. “I thought we lost a little bit of focus and determination after that first quarter and have to give credit to Bethel for responding and taking advantage of that.”
The Pilots (8-8, 2-5 CL) scored the first five points of Saturday’s showdown, but a layup from Kate Thomas saw the Lancers respond on with a 10-0 burst. Grace’s scoring run saw four different players score and was capped off by a trifecta from Kensie Ryman.
With three minutes left in the opening stanza the game was tied at 13 points apiece but Grace was poised for another offensive burst. The Lancers closed the quarter on a 12-3 run and carried a 25-16 lead into the quarter break. Grace’s 25 points were the most that they have scored in an opening quarter this season.
Bethel tried to chip away at the deficit early in the second quarter but timely buckets Sophia Morrison and Morganne Houk kept the Pilots at bay.
At the midpoint of the quarter Bethel found their touch from deep, connecting on a quartet of shots from beyond the arc to pull to build a four-point lead over Grace.
Peyton Murphy ended what was a 10-0 run for the Pilots with a 3-point field goal of her own and the game entered halftime with Grace trailing 41-40.
Both teams boasted efficient offensive attacks in the opening half as Grace shot 48 percent and Bethel connected at an even 50 percent. Bethel scored three more points off of turnovers than Grace and held a narrow 16-15 advantage on the boards.
The second half got started with a bang as the first made buckets of the third quarter were all trifectas. The Pilots got the better of the early exchange though and had built a double digit point lead by the halfway point of the quarter.
The Pilots lead reached as many as 12 points before back-to-back scores from Morrison and Houk momentarily breathed life back into the Lancer squad.
Grace was unable to find any consistency on the offensive end of the floor as they shot 33 percent for the quarter and trailed 61-51 entering the final frame.
Morrison had an early 3-point field goal to match the Pilots fourth quarter start and Maddy Poynter added a trio of points from the charity stripe to get Grace within nine points but it was as close as they would be able to manage.
Bethel led by as many as 16 points in the final stanza before ultimately winning 77-64.
“We have been too inconsistent over this last stretch of Games,” Davis added. “We need to see the improvement of the things we are working on in practice to translate to game days. We have always found ways to improve as a team as the season goes on and I know we will do the same this year.”
Grace finished the game shooting 44 percent while Bethel shot 46 percent. The Lancers hit on eight shots from beyond the arc while the Pilots hit 14.
Grace was outrebounded 30-27 and despite committing just one more turnover, was outscored 29-12 on points scored off of turnovers.
Morrison led Grace with 17 points while Poynter, Ryman and Murphy all eclipsed double digits.
Grace will be back in action on Wednesday for a 5:30 p.m. showdown with St. Francis.

Grace Loses Nailbiter To No. 10 Pilots
WINONA LAKE, Ind. - A battle for first place in the Crossroads League fully lived up to the hype on Saturday afternoon.
Grace’s men’s basketball and Bethel traded blow for blow in the heavyweight bout, but the No. 10 Pilots threw the final punch.
A pair of free throws with 5.7 seconds remaining gave Bethel a 75-74 win over the No. 16 Lancers at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center.
Ian Scott (30 points) and Ian Raasch (25 points) had impressive performances in the loss, combining to score 74 percent of the Lancers’ points.
Despite the defeat, Grace (13-4, 5-2 CL) still sits in second place in the league standings. The Pilots (14-3, 7-0 CL) move two games clear of second place.
Grace began the game well, scoring on its first five possessions. Raasch was active, amassing eight points in the first three minutes with a 3-pointer and an and-1.
Ian Scott also helped Grace off to a fast start with a pair of triples as the Lancers led 18-8.
Additional 3-pointers from Hunter Walston and Justin DeGraaf kept the Lancers rolling as Grace opened up a 30-18 lead.
But the Lancers’ offense hit a dry spell as Grace went over four minutes before making another field goal.
The Pilots clawed back and managed to pull within two on a 3-pointer in the final minute, just beating the shot clock.
But Grace had a buzzer beater of its own ready as Raasch canned a 3-pointer just before the halftime clock expired, and the Lancers led 43-38 at halftime.
Raasch had 17 points in the first half. Bethel had eight turnovers in the first half but made up for it by shooting 56 percent from the field. Grace shot 48 percent from the floor and 46 percent on 3s.
Scott scored five quick points to begin the second half, but Grace’s offense hit the doldrums again.
The Pilots exploded with a 15-0 run as the Lancers came up empty on six straight possessions.
Grace’s 10-point lead became a 55-50 deficit, and the Pilots maintained an edge for the middle portions of the half.
Bethel built a 10-point lead with eight minutes to go before Grace struck back.
Scott and Raasch combined to score Grace’s next 15 points, capitalizing at the free throw line, in the post and in fastbreak opportunities.
Ten unanswered points pulled Grace within two. With four minutes to go, Scott tied the game with a layup and then promptly scored again on the next play to give the Lancers the lead.
The teams traded points over the next few nervy minutes, and Grace found itself behind by one with less than 30 seconds remaining.
The Lancers turned to steady senior Scott with the game on the line, and he delivered. Scott sank a contested pull-up jumper with 10 seconds left to put Grace ahead 74-73.
But Grace was called for a foul with 5.7 seconds left as Bethel raced down the court, and the Pilots made both free throws.
Carter Stoltzfus did his best to hit a dramatic game winner, but his running 3-point attempt at the buzzer bounced off the backboard and glanced off the rim.
Grace finished the game shooting 47 percent from the floor as a team compared to 54 percent for BU. Grace was elite at the free throw line by shooting 23 of 25 (92 percent) for the game.
Grace had a season-low 22 rebounds in the game with two offensive rebounds.
Scott was a force, leading all players with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocked shots. He shot 10 of 17 overall and 3 of 4 on 3s.
Raasch produced a career-high 25 points while drawing eight fouls. He made all 11 of his free throws and stole the ball twice.
Hunter Walston pitched in 7 points, 4 boards and 2 steals off the bench, DeGraaf had 3 points, 2 assists and 2 boards, and Brycen Graber added five assists.
Next week, the Lancers will play at St. Francis on Wednesday and home against Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Saturday at 3 p.m.