WINONA LAKE - Grace ended one of the most heart-breaking losing streaks possible Saturday with an almost-flawless second half effort against Marian College. After losing four games, two against teams ranked in the NAIA top 15, by a combined total of 10 points, the Lancers shot 57 percent in the second half and committed only one turnover in the final 20 minutes to beat the Knights 73-65 on Senior Day.

After playing in eight consecutive games that came down to the final few possessions, Grace was ready for a game in which the win would not ride on the final moments. Although Grace never put the game out of reach, Marian was unable to get close enough during the final seven minutes to put the win in jeopardy.

The deciding run came midway through the second half as Grace held a 52-51 advantage. The Lancers went 6-of-6 from the free-throw line and the team scored eight consecutive points to build a 60-51 lead. Marian never got closer than six the rest of the way.

Marian entered the contest just one game behind the Lancers in the Mid-Central Conference standings. After starting conference play with seven consecutive losses, the Knights entered the game on a three-game winning streak, including a 15 point victory over No. 4 Huntington Tuesday.

Grace, on the other hand, was coming off of an overtime loss to No. 13 Taylor in which leading scorer Marcus Moore was held scoreless for all of regulation and finished with just three points. But he made it apparent quickly that that would not happen again.

Moore scored 12 first half points, including a pair of long three-pointers, and finished with a game-high 20 on 8-of-15 shooting. Eric Gaff ended with 15 points and four blocked shots, while making all five of his free-throw attempts, impressive considering he entered the game at only 58 percent on the year.

Kyle Johnson ended with 14 points and six rebounds, while Richmond, a senior, finished with 10 points, leaving him six points shy of 1,000 for his career. The two other seniors, Jeff Hamstra and Ben Snyder, combined for 10 points and made 3-of-4 three-pointers.

Marian falls to 9-12 overall and 4-10 in the Mid-Central Conference, while Grace improves to 15-13 and 6-8 in the MCC. With the win, the Lancers have assured themselves of a record no worse than .500 in the regular season for the second year in a row. Grace will travel to Fort Wayne Tuesday to play St. Francis at 7 p.m.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

INDIANAPOLIS - The Grace and Marian women's basketball teams combined for 52 turnovers, but Marian made 12-of-21 three-pointers to beat Grace 73-59 in Mid-Central Conference action Saturday.

Marian committed 27 turnovers but never let Grace fight back from a nine point halftime deficit because of the three-point shot. The Knights made 8-of-12 in the second half to keep the Lancers from ever making a serious challenge in the final 20 minutes.

Kami Hilliker, coming off of a career-high 31 points Wednesday, scored five points early as Grace jumped on top 9-4. The game was still tied at 13-13 and Marian held a slim 20-19 advantage with eight minutes to play before Grace's offense went cold. The Knights finished the half with a 12-4 run to take a 32-23 halftime lead.

In the second half, Laura Kister made a pair of free-throws on Grace's first possession to get the Lancers back within seven, but Mandy Kot knocked down a three-pointer for Marian and Grace never got back within single digits.

Grace was outrebounded 38-20 for the game and that helped Marian get extra opportunities. The Knights took advantage, shooting 47 percent from the game and making those 12 three-pointers, five from Allison Harris.

Hilliker led Grace with 17 points and made 3-of-7 three-pointers. Lauren Zeltwanger was Grace's only other double figure scorer with 11 points.

Marian improves to 15-8 overall and 8-6 in the MCC, while Grace falls to 6-18 and 2-12 in conference. Despite the loss, the Lady Lancers did clinch a spot in the Mid-Central Conference Tournament. With Goshen's loss to Huntington Saturday, Grace is guaranteed the No. 8 seed in the MCC Tournament.

Grace will host NAIA No. 6 St. Francis Wednesday at 7 p.m. in a game that will be a preview of a first round MCC Tournament game as St. Francis has clinched the No. 1 seed for the tournament.

TRACK AND FIELD

ANDERSON - Freshman Brian Skattum won a competitive 200 and 400, breaking the school record in both events, as the Grace College indoor track and field teams competed at the Anderson Invitational Saturday.

Skattum ran a :50.38 in the 400 to break the school record, a record that he set just two weeks ago with a time of :50.90. His 200 time of :22.81 bettered Dennis Simmons' record time of :23.19 set in 2004.

The event was the final indoor track and field tune-up before the national championships. Skattum will compete as one of the favorites in both events at the NCCAA National Championships Saturday.

John Robertson placed fourth in the 800 with a time of 2:02.40 and will also compete at the NCCAA National Championships in that event. [[In-content Ad]]