WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace’s men’s basketball team held on for a slim 68-66 win over Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Saturday.
The Lancers used a stout defensive performance to hold off a late charge from the Cougars, maintaining sole possession of second place in the Crossroads League standings.
The Ians led the way for Grace; Ian Raasch had 18 points and six rebounds, and Ian Scott stuffed the box score with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 steals and 3 blocks. Neither player committed a turnover while playing most of the game.
Grace (15-4, 7-2 CL) did not explode out of the gate on Saturday. Brett Sickafoose hit an early 3-pointer, but Grace went on to miss six of its first seven shots.
Fortunately for the Lancers, Grace’s defense kept MVNU from building a significant lead. The Cougars led 7-3 before back-to-back layups from Raasch and Gage Sefton leveled the score.
A few minutes later, Scott scored on consecutive plays to give the Lancers an 11-9 edge.
Grace’s offense was far from its peak form in the first half, but the Lancers’ defense was suffocating. The Cougars (11-8, 3-6 CL) were held to 38 percent shooting (25 percent on 3s), keeping MVNU pinned.
The Lancers began to open up a lead largely by controlling the paint. Grace scored 20 of its 31 points during the half in the paint, including an impressive plus-10 advantage in rebounds.
Grace went into halftime with a 31-24 lead, doing so despite shooting 43 percent overall as a team.
Scott led Grace in the opening half with 10 points.
Three quick points from Sefton to start the second half helped push Grace’s lead to 10, but the Cougars came surging back.
MVNU used a 12-6 run to chop Grace’s lead down to two. Scott responded with a timely basket with 15 minutes to play.
The Cougars continued to apply pressure, coming within one with 12:45 on the clock.
But the Lancers’ offense caught fire during the middle portions of the half. Grace employed its transition game to great effect, turning defense into easy offense.
Layups from Hunter Walston, Carter Stoltzfus and Scott helped Grace take control, and the Lancers rolled ahead 60-46 with seven minutes remaining. Justin DeGraaf had six points during Grace’s spurt.
Grace’s offense went quiet again, however. The Lancers scored just five more points over the next 4:38, allowing the Cougars to rally again.
Raasch marched down the middle of the lane for a thunderous dunk to help Grace down the stretch, but the Cougars managed to pull within one at 65-64 with 1:34 on the clock.
Raasch converted a tough driving basket on Grace’s next possession, but the Cougars responded with a layup as well.
Grace missed on its shot attempt in the final 30 seconds, but Raasch soared for the offensive rebound and was fouled.
Raasch made 1 of 2 from the free throw line to extend Grace’s lead to two. The Lancers then prevented the Cougars from tying the game at the buzzer when Walston registered a steal on the final play.
Grace finished the game shooting 45 percent from the floor and 11 percent (2 of 19) on 3s. The Lancers’ defense held the Cougars to 40 percent shooting, however.
Grace scored 44 points in the paint, accounting for 65 percent of the team’s scoring.
Sefton flirted with a double-double, finishing with 9 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocked shots, and DeGraaf had eight points with three boards.
Stoltzfus notched six points and three rebounds, Sickafoose scored five, Walston tallied 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals, and Brycen Graber had three points and three assists.
The Lancers have one game next week, playing at Marian on Saturday, Jan. 25.
The following week, Grace will host Indiana Wesleyan (Jan. 29) and Spring Arbor (Feb. 1).