WINONA LAKE - Senior leadership and freshman enthusiasm.

The Grace Lancers found out just how wonderful those two factors can be on Tuesday in the first round of the Mid-Central Conference Tournament.

Seniors Darren Gagnon and Bert McLaughlin combined for 27 points, 17 rebounds, and nine assists, while freshmen Ben Elliott and Caleb Gilmer totaled 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting as the Lancers defeated the Marian Knights 72-62.

Not to be outdone, juniors Andy Schmidt and James Joiner chipped in nine points and six assists in the critical second half as the Lancers opened up a tight game in the final six minutes to pick up their 21st victory of the season.

Grace opened up slowly, scoring just 16 points in the first 14 minutes. But the defense showed up, and Marian could only muster 16 points in that same span.

However, in the final six minutes of the half, both teams got hot, and the Lancers took a 31-30 lead into the lockerroom after a strange 20 minutes.

In the first half, Grace took just 18 shots to Marian's 33. But the Lancers shot 62 percent, while the Knights had a difficult time finding the basket at just 39 percent in the opening half.

In the second half, Grace looked to gain momentum leading 45-42 with 13 minutes to play. However, Scott Miller penetrated baseline and Seth Gilmer picked up a hard foul. The basket went in and Gilmer was given an intentional foul. Miller knocked down both free throws, and suddenly, the Knights were leading.

Marian extended the lead to 53-47 when Miller knocked down one of his four three-pointers.

Then, Gagnon took over. He scored eight points over the next five minutes to put Grace ahead 59-58. McLaughlin hit a three-pointer to put the Lancers ahead by four, and Schmidt and Elliott each made a pair of free throws down the stretch to seal the win.

"We started slowly," Grace head coach Jim Kessler said. "But it did come around. We did our very best to be aggressive in the second half. Some people came in and did a great job for us. Elliott had a very productive 16 minutes. Brian Gornik came in and really gave us a lift in intensity. You can always count on Brian to make something happen. Schmidt did a stellar job defensively."

Schmidt and Gagnon both scored 16 points, and Gagnon added 13 rebounds. Joiner, in his first game back since Feb. 4, played 15 minutes at the point guard spot in the second half to spark the team.

Miller scored a game-high 22 points for Marian.

Kessler was already looking ahead towards a rematch at No. 1 Bethel on Saturday. This past weekend, the Pilots defeated Grace 109-87 in Mishawaka.

"We shot 60 percent from the field," Kessler said. "That's the kind of shooting percentage we need against Bethel. Offensively, Bethel is just so explosive. You have to stay in the game. There are going to be times where everything will go their way. We have to keep those runs at six points instead of 16 points. Game after game they beat you on offensive boards."

Grace (21-11) will meet Bethel, who defeated Indiana Wesleyan 113-101, in Mishawaka in the second round of the Mid-Central Conference Tournament on Saturday at 3 p.m. The winner will meet the winner of Taylor and Huntington for the championship and the automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament. [[In-content Ad]]