Lancers Win League Opener
Vanderhegghen superb on both ends of the floor in rout of Taylor
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
Vanderhegghen, Grace College’s 6-foot-1 senior backcourt ace, certainly lived up to the billing Tuesday night, as he led the 14th-ranked Lancers to a 70-47 win over the Taylor University Trojans at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center.
Vanderhegghen was simply superb on both ends of the floor in the league opener.
Making 8 of 12 attempts from the field and 5 of 7 shots at the charity stripe, he scored a game-high 23 points to go along with nine rebounds and four assists.
Defensively, Vanderhegghen drew the assignment of guarding Taylor University senior guard Kyle Stidom, who entered the contest averaging just under 20 points per game.
With Vanderhegghen, and others, chasing him all over the court, Stidom finished the game 1 of 5 from the field and 1 of 1 at the free throw line, scoring just three points.
“He was absolutely stellar,” Kessler said of Vanderhegghen, who also made four steals in the win. “That’s what a senior leader does. His defensive effort was, maybe, overshadowed by his scoring, but he was guarding one of their better players. Stidom was an all-conference player last year. He flat took him out of the game ... terrific defensive effort. I think when people step up, and his teammates go with him, that’s being a leader. We need that kind of performance.”
With the win, the Lancers improved to 8-1 on the season, while Taylor University fell to 3-4. The Trojans are 3-0 at home and 0-4 on the road.
Grace led 32-24 at halftime, but with a quick 7-0 run to start the second half the Trojans trimmed the Lancers’ advantage to 32-31.
Grace responded with a 23-6 run and outscored Taylor University 38-16 after the Trojans’ 7-0 spurt.
After losing 75-71 in overtime at Clarke University Friday, the Lancers’ only loss of the season, Kessler said his team talked on the 12-hour bus ride home from Dubuque, Iowa.
Whatever was said seemed to inspire them Tuesday night, particularly in the second half.
“We lacked energy, we lacked focus ... we had a dismal showing in Iowa,” said Kessler. “We had a 12-hour bus ride home and we had a chance to talk ... I think I talked to nearly every player. We just addressed some things we needed to address. Some guys needed confidence and reassurance, others needed direction, and I think they needed to feel like we were listening.
“I think that loss actually made us better. We took a step back before the league season and we realized we’re not invincible, and we came out with a totally different attitude of doing things together.”
Sophomore Erik Bowen scored 13 points for the Lancers Tuesday night, while seniors Logan Irwin and Caleb Featherston chipped in with nine points each.
Freshman Evan Crowe and sophomore Keaton Hendricks led the Trojans with 10 points each, while freshman Jake Heggeland added six.
The Lancers are in action again Dec. 2 when they host league foe St. Francis in a men’s/women’s doubleheader.
The Lady Lancers are scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m., followed by the men’s game at approximately 8 p.m.
St. Francis went into Tuesday’s league opener ranked fourth in the country but lost 84-79 in overtime at Huntington University.
Indiana Wesleyan, ranked second in the NAIA Division II preseason national poll, also lost its Crossroads League opener Tuesday, falling 85-72 to Marian University.
GRACE COLLEGE 70, TAYLOR UNIVERSITY 47
TU 24 23 – 47
GC 32 38 – 70
Taylor – Jake Heggeland 3-6 0-0 16, Keaton Hendricks 3-11 4-5 10, Tim Fleming 1-6 0-1 2, Shakir Dunning 2-9 1-1 5, Kyle Stidom 1-5 1-1 3, Jordan Richardson 0-0 0-0 0, Evan Crowe 4-7 0-0 10, Eric Cellier 2-9 0-0 5, Lane Vander Hulst 1-3 0-0 2, Joe Ingersoll 0-0 0-0 0, Graham Ortmann 0-1 0-0 0, Vivian Aiken 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 19-62 6-8 47.
Grace – Caleb Featherston 3-5 3-6 9, Kyle Fillman 1-5 2-2 4, Erik Bowen 5-9 3-4 13, Logan Irwin 3-6 3-4 9, Brandon Vanderhegghen 8-12 5-7 23, Josh Ruggles 0-4 2-2 2, John Swanson 0-0 0-0 0, Stephen Halstead 0-2 0-0 0, Tre Olive 1-1 3-4 5, Drew Perrin 0-0 0-0 0, Tim Swanson 0-1 0-0 0, Logan Godfrey 1-1 0-0 2, Chad Hoffer 0-3 3-4 3, Mike Warren 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-49 24-33 70.
Three-pointers – Taylor 3 (Crowe 2, Cellier), Grace 2 (Vanderhegghen 2); Rebounds – Taylor 26 (Aiken 5, Fleming 5), Grace 43 (Vanderhegghen 9); Turnovers – Taylor 16, Grace 12; Fouls – Taylor 24, Grace 14; Fouled out – Fleming; Records: Taylor 3-4 (0-1 CL), Grace 8-1 (1-0 CL)[[In-content Ad]]
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Vanderhegghen, Grace College’s 6-foot-1 senior backcourt ace, certainly lived up to the billing Tuesday night, as he led the 14th-ranked Lancers to a 70-47 win over the Taylor University Trojans at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center.
Vanderhegghen was simply superb on both ends of the floor in the league opener.
Making 8 of 12 attempts from the field and 5 of 7 shots at the charity stripe, he scored a game-high 23 points to go along with nine rebounds and four assists.
Defensively, Vanderhegghen drew the assignment of guarding Taylor University senior guard Kyle Stidom, who entered the contest averaging just under 20 points per game.
With Vanderhegghen, and others, chasing him all over the court, Stidom finished the game 1 of 5 from the field and 1 of 1 at the free throw line, scoring just three points.
“He was absolutely stellar,” Kessler said of Vanderhegghen, who also made four steals in the win. “That’s what a senior leader does. His defensive effort was, maybe, overshadowed by his scoring, but he was guarding one of their better players. Stidom was an all-conference player last year. He flat took him out of the game ... terrific defensive effort. I think when people step up, and his teammates go with him, that’s being a leader. We need that kind of performance.”
With the win, the Lancers improved to 8-1 on the season, while Taylor University fell to 3-4. The Trojans are 3-0 at home and 0-4 on the road.
Grace led 32-24 at halftime, but with a quick 7-0 run to start the second half the Trojans trimmed the Lancers’ advantage to 32-31.
Grace responded with a 23-6 run and outscored Taylor University 38-16 after the Trojans’ 7-0 spurt.
After losing 75-71 in overtime at Clarke University Friday, the Lancers’ only loss of the season, Kessler said his team talked on the 12-hour bus ride home from Dubuque, Iowa.
Whatever was said seemed to inspire them Tuesday night, particularly in the second half.
“We lacked energy, we lacked focus ... we had a dismal showing in Iowa,” said Kessler. “We had a 12-hour bus ride home and we had a chance to talk ... I think I talked to nearly every player. We just addressed some things we needed to address. Some guys needed confidence and reassurance, others needed direction, and I think they needed to feel like we were listening.
“I think that loss actually made us better. We took a step back before the league season and we realized we’re not invincible, and we came out with a totally different attitude of doing things together.”
Sophomore Erik Bowen scored 13 points for the Lancers Tuesday night, while seniors Logan Irwin and Caleb Featherston chipped in with nine points each.
Freshman Evan Crowe and sophomore Keaton Hendricks led the Trojans with 10 points each, while freshman Jake Heggeland added six.
The Lancers are in action again Dec. 2 when they host league foe St. Francis in a men’s/women’s doubleheader.
The Lady Lancers are scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m., followed by the men’s game at approximately 8 p.m.
St. Francis went into Tuesday’s league opener ranked fourth in the country but lost 84-79 in overtime at Huntington University.
Indiana Wesleyan, ranked second in the NAIA Division II preseason national poll, also lost its Crossroads League opener Tuesday, falling 85-72 to Marian University.
GRACE COLLEGE 70, TAYLOR UNIVERSITY 47
TU 24 23 – 47
GC 32 38 – 70
Taylor – Jake Heggeland 3-6 0-0 16, Keaton Hendricks 3-11 4-5 10, Tim Fleming 1-6 0-1 2, Shakir Dunning 2-9 1-1 5, Kyle Stidom 1-5 1-1 3, Jordan Richardson 0-0 0-0 0, Evan Crowe 4-7 0-0 10, Eric Cellier 2-9 0-0 5, Lane Vander Hulst 1-3 0-0 2, Joe Ingersoll 0-0 0-0 0, Graham Ortmann 0-1 0-0 0, Vivian Aiken 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 19-62 6-8 47.
Grace – Caleb Featherston 3-5 3-6 9, Kyle Fillman 1-5 2-2 4, Erik Bowen 5-9 3-4 13, Logan Irwin 3-6 3-4 9, Brandon Vanderhegghen 8-12 5-7 23, Josh Ruggles 0-4 2-2 2, John Swanson 0-0 0-0 0, Stephen Halstead 0-2 0-0 0, Tre Olive 1-1 3-4 5, Drew Perrin 0-0 0-0 0, Tim Swanson 0-1 0-0 0, Logan Godfrey 1-1 0-0 2, Chad Hoffer 0-3 3-4 3, Mike Warren 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-49 24-33 70.
Three-pointers – Taylor 3 (Crowe 2, Cellier), Grace 2 (Vanderhegghen 2); Rebounds – Taylor 26 (Aiken 5, Fleming 5), Grace 43 (Vanderhegghen 9); Turnovers – Taylor 16, Grace 12; Fouls – Taylor 24, Grace 14; Fouled out – Fleming; Records: Taylor 3-4 (0-1 CL), Grace 8-1 (1-0 CL)[[In-content Ad]]
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