Grace Men Fall To MCC Foe
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
Keeping Mid-Central College Conference rival Huntington University from scoring, well, that was a different story.
The Lancers, ranked fourth in the latest NAIA Division II national poll, entered Saturday's confernce clash at the Orthopaedic Capital Center giving up an average of 66 points per game.
The visiting Foresters put 45 points on the scoreboard in the second half alone, including a 58-second stretch in which freshman guard Ryan Boester scored treys on three-straight possessions, and left Winona Lake with an 81-77 win.
"We've got guys who can score," said Grace coach Jim Kessler, who was denied his 650th career win as the Lancers lost back-to-back game for the first time this season. "We've got to guard people. We can't let guys hit three-pointers three-straight trips down the floor."
Boester was 6 of 8 from the arc and scored a team-high 24 points, while senior Caleb Kennedy scored 20 points and sophomores Nick Teeter and Shane Merryman added 14 and 10 points, respectively.
Huntington improved to 14-10 overall and 6-6 in MCC play, while Grace, playing without senior Duke Johnson (back injury), fell to 18-5 and 8-4 with its third loss in four games.
Indiana Wesleyan, Marian and St. Francis are tied for second place in the 10-team MCC with 7-5 marks, while Goshen, Huntington and Spring Arbor are two games back and Taylor and Bethel are three games behind.
"In the MCC, you've got to close games," said Kessler. "We didn't do that today. You can't give up open threes like that. We've got to guard people."
The Lancers, who got a career-high 33 points from junior point guard Bruce Grimm Jr., led 41-36 at halftime and 66-55 with 8:15 remaining in the game.
That's when the Foresters went on their run, scoring 16 unanswered points to take a 71-66 lead with 4:37 to play.
Grace could only trim the deficit to as little as two points the rest of the way, doing so when a Grimm three-pointer with six seconds remaining made the score 79-77.
Teeter converted two free throws with five seconds remaining to account for the final score.
The Foresters were 6 of 6 at the free throw line in the final 21 seconds.
Six-foot-11 sophomore Dennis Williams was the only other Grace player to score in double figures.
Playing more minutes due to the 6-11 Johnson's injury, Williams finished the game with 14 points, seven rebounds and a pair of steals.
Freshman Karl Columbus added seven points and six rebounds, while senior Jacob Peattie and sophomore Greg Miller scored six points each and junior Tannan Peters chipped in with five points and five rebounds.
The Lancers will be in action again Tuesday at Spring Arbor.
HUNTINGTON 81, GRACE 77
Hunt. 36 45 – 81
Gr. 41 36 – 77
Hunt. – T.J. Short 1-2 2-2 5, Caleb Kennedy 9-17 2-2 20, Shane Merryman 2-5 6-7 10, Ryan Boester 7-13 4-7 24, Tyler Ault 1-1 0-0 3, Justin Jantzi 0-2 0-0 0, Randall Lowe 0-3 0-0 0, Nick Teeter 4-6 6-6 14, Alec Peterson 2-2 1-2 5.
Grace – Dayton Merrell 1-3 1-1 3, Greg Miller 2-5 0-0 6, Jacob Peattie 3-6 0-1 6, Elliot Smith 1-6 0-0 3, Bruce Grimm Jr. 9-19 12-13 33, Lee Ross 0-1 0-0 0, Niko Read 0-1 0-0 0, Tannan Peters 2-6 1-2 5, Karl Columbus 3-6 1-2 7, Dennis Williams 7-13 0-1 14. Totals 28-66 15-20 77.
Three-pointers – Huntington 8 (Boester 6, Short, Ault), Grace 6 (Grimm 3, Miller 2, Smith); Rebounds – Huntington 32 (Merryman 7), Grace 32 (Williams 7); Turnovers – Huntington 11, Grace 9; Fouls – Huntington 16, Grace 21; Fouled out – none; Records: Huntington 14-10 (6-6 MCC), Grace 18-5 (8-4 MCC)[[In-content Ad]]
Keeping Mid-Central College Conference rival Huntington University from scoring, well, that was a different story.
The Lancers, ranked fourth in the latest NAIA Division II national poll, entered Saturday's confernce clash at the Orthopaedic Capital Center giving up an average of 66 points per game.
The visiting Foresters put 45 points on the scoreboard in the second half alone, including a 58-second stretch in which freshman guard Ryan Boester scored treys on three-straight possessions, and left Winona Lake with an 81-77 win.
"We've got guys who can score," said Grace coach Jim Kessler, who was denied his 650th career win as the Lancers lost back-to-back game for the first time this season. "We've got to guard people. We can't let guys hit three-pointers three-straight trips down the floor."
Boester was 6 of 8 from the arc and scored a team-high 24 points, while senior Caleb Kennedy scored 20 points and sophomores Nick Teeter and Shane Merryman added 14 and 10 points, respectively.
Huntington improved to 14-10 overall and 6-6 in MCC play, while Grace, playing without senior Duke Johnson (back injury), fell to 18-5 and 8-4 with its third loss in four games.
Indiana Wesleyan, Marian and St. Francis are tied for second place in the 10-team MCC with 7-5 marks, while Goshen, Huntington and Spring Arbor are two games back and Taylor and Bethel are three games behind.
"In the MCC, you've got to close games," said Kessler. "We didn't do that today. You can't give up open threes like that. We've got to guard people."
The Lancers, who got a career-high 33 points from junior point guard Bruce Grimm Jr., led 41-36 at halftime and 66-55 with 8:15 remaining in the game.
That's when the Foresters went on their run, scoring 16 unanswered points to take a 71-66 lead with 4:37 to play.
Grace could only trim the deficit to as little as two points the rest of the way, doing so when a Grimm three-pointer with six seconds remaining made the score 79-77.
Teeter converted two free throws with five seconds remaining to account for the final score.
The Foresters were 6 of 6 at the free throw line in the final 21 seconds.
Six-foot-11 sophomore Dennis Williams was the only other Grace player to score in double figures.
Playing more minutes due to the 6-11 Johnson's injury, Williams finished the game with 14 points, seven rebounds and a pair of steals.
Freshman Karl Columbus added seven points and six rebounds, while senior Jacob Peattie and sophomore Greg Miller scored six points each and junior Tannan Peters chipped in with five points and five rebounds.
The Lancers will be in action again Tuesday at Spring Arbor.
HUNTINGTON 81, GRACE 77
Hunt. 36 45 – 81
Gr. 41 36 – 77
Hunt. – T.J. Short 1-2 2-2 5, Caleb Kennedy 9-17 2-2 20, Shane Merryman 2-5 6-7 10, Ryan Boester 7-13 4-7 24, Tyler Ault 1-1 0-0 3, Justin Jantzi 0-2 0-0 0, Randall Lowe 0-3 0-0 0, Nick Teeter 4-6 6-6 14, Alec Peterson 2-2 1-2 5.
Grace – Dayton Merrell 1-3 1-1 3, Greg Miller 2-5 0-0 6, Jacob Peattie 3-6 0-1 6, Elliot Smith 1-6 0-0 3, Bruce Grimm Jr. 9-19 12-13 33, Lee Ross 0-1 0-0 0, Niko Read 0-1 0-0 0, Tannan Peters 2-6 1-2 5, Karl Columbus 3-6 1-2 7, Dennis Williams 7-13 0-1 14. Totals 28-66 15-20 77.
Three-pointers – Huntington 8 (Boester 6, Short, Ault), Grace 6 (Grimm 3, Miller 2, Smith); Rebounds – Huntington 32 (Merryman 7), Grace 32 (Williams 7); Turnovers – Huntington 11, Grace 9; Fouls – Huntington 16, Grace 21; Fouled out – none; Records: Huntington 14-10 (6-6 MCC), Grace 18-5 (8-4 MCC)[[In-content Ad]]
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