Yellow Jackets Sting Lancers
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
Their improbable run came to an end Saturday in the quarterfinals of the 18th annual NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Tournament at College of the Ozarks near Branson, Missouri, where the Lancers fell 77-73 to fifth-seeded Black Hills State University.[[In-content Ad]]"To be where we are, back in the Elite Eight, I'm very proud of this team," said veteran Grace College coach Jim Kessler, whose team finished the season with a 22-11 record. "If you had told me we'd win 22 games and be in the Elite Eight again, I'd have laughed out loud. But these players believed in each other and played as a team."
The Lancers, with their backs against the wall, used team play to get back in the game in the second half Saturday against the Yellow Jackets, a team from South Dakota.
Grace, which shot 26 percent from the field in the first half, trailed 41-25 at halftime but eventually tied the score at 61-all when senior Michael Wienhorst hit a nothing-but-net three-pointer with 3:55 remaining in the game.
"We came back and tied it, we just couldn't get over the hump," said Wienhorst, who finished the game with eight points. "We didn't think they were a second-half team. We put pressure on them and fought our way back into the game. I love playing with these guys so much. We play as a team. When you play together as a team, it's incredible what you can do."
What the Lancers almost did Saturday was advance to the Final Four for just the second time in school history.
Instead, sophomores Spencer Childress and Cain Atkinson made clutch three-pointers and free throws down the stretch for the Yellow Jackets, who improved 30-4 with their 15th-straight win.
"They jumped out on us in the first half," said Grace senior Eric Gaff, who tallied 14 points and seven rebounds in his last game as a Lancer. "We didn't get our rhythm going. We didn't give up, though. We had guys step up, like Duke Johnson and Jacob Peattie. We played hard, we just dug too big of a hole."
With the four-point win, Black Hills State advanced to today's semifinal game against No. 1 seed Oklahoma Wesleyan (33-2).
In today's other semifinal game, No. seed Bethel (33-3) will play College of the Ozarks (24-10).
Bethel advanced to the Final Four by beating Bellevue, last year's runner-up, while Ozarks advanced by beating Indiana Wesleyan.
The championship game is scheduled for Tuesday night.
Grace will certainly miss its two seniors, Wienhorst and Gaff, and while Saturday's loss to the Yellow Jackets stung, there was a glimpse into the future.
Johnson, a 6-10 freshman who played at Jimtown High School, led the Lancers in scoring with 17 points, filling in for Gaff, who was saddled with foul trouble.
Peattie, a 6-3 sophomore from Logansport High School, tallied 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and was a spark plug off the bench for the Lancers in all three tournament games.
"That's a tribute to our team," Kessler said of making the second-half comeback. "They never quit, and I'm proud of them for that. We had different guys step up, and this time it was Jacob Peattie and Duke Johnson. We're going to miss our seniors. Eric Gaff and Michael Wienhorst have given a lot to this program, on and off the court. They're both outstanding young men."
Junior Kyle Plumlee chipped in with nine points for the Lancers, while sophomore David Henry scored eight points and junior David Swanson finished with five points.
Atkinson led the Yellow Jackets with 15 points, 14 of which came in the second half.
Sophomore Luke Enos scored 13 points, while senior Aaron Sutton scored 12 and senior A.J. Fodness and Childress score 10 points each.
In Gaff and Wienhorst, the Lancers lose a combo that helped lead them to three-straight 20-win seasons, something that hadn't happened in 20 years.
Gaff became just the seventh player in Grace history to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in a career. He led the nation this season in rebounding (12 per game) and double-doubles (24).
Wienhorst became the 40th Lancer to eclipse the 1,000-point plateu and is among the leaders in free throw percentage for a career.
"These last four years have been the best blessing in my life," Wienhorst said of his time at Grace. "I loved playing with these guys, it's been a blessing."
Kessler said Gaff has been contacted by a number of agents and has a chance to play professionally in Europe or Australia, and that Wienhorst is studying to become a youth pastor.
"Eric Gaff was a no-name player in high school, now he's got a chance to play professionally," said Kessler. "He's come further in four years than any player I've ever had. Michael has been a great player for us, and the kid is gonna go to seminary now and wants to be a youth pastor. That right there is more important to me than winning any game. These guys have been leaders for our program. We're certainly going to miss them."
BLACK HILLS 77, GRACE 73
G 25 48 - 73
BH 41 36 - 77
Grace - Swanson 2 1-2 5, Wienhorst 2 2-2 8, Gaff 4 6-9 14, Henry 3 0-0 8, Plumlee 3 2-4 9, Peattie 5 1-4 12, Merrell 0 0-0 0, Euler 0 0-0 0, Johnson 6 5-6 17. Totals 25 17-27 73.
Black Hills - Childress 3 2-2 10, Johnson 0 1-2 1, Enos 5 3-6 13, Pottorff 2 0-1 5, Atkinson 3 6-8 15, Sutton 5 0-0 12, Haney 1 1-2 4, Fodness 5 0-0 10, Herman 2 1-2 7. Totals 26 14-23 77.
Three-point goals - Grace 6 (Wienhorst 2, Henry 2, Plumlee 1, Peattie 1), Black Hills 11 (Atkinson 3, Childress 2, Herman 2, Pottorff, Haney). Rebounds - Grace 38 (Gaff 7), Black Hills 36 (Fodness 11). Turnovers - Grace 11, Black Hills 13. Fouls - Grace 23, Black Hills 17. Fouled out - Johnson (Black Hills). Records: Grace 22-11, Black Hills 30-4.
Their improbable run came to an end Saturday in the quarterfinals of the 18th annual NAIA Division II Men's Basketball National Tournament at College of the Ozarks near Branson, Missouri, where the Lancers fell 77-73 to fifth-seeded Black Hills State University.[[In-content Ad]]"To be where we are, back in the Elite Eight, I'm very proud of this team," said veteran Grace College coach Jim Kessler, whose team finished the season with a 22-11 record. "If you had told me we'd win 22 games and be in the Elite Eight again, I'd have laughed out loud. But these players believed in each other and played as a team."
The Lancers, with their backs against the wall, used team play to get back in the game in the second half Saturday against the Yellow Jackets, a team from South Dakota.
Grace, which shot 26 percent from the field in the first half, trailed 41-25 at halftime but eventually tied the score at 61-all when senior Michael Wienhorst hit a nothing-but-net three-pointer with 3:55 remaining in the game.
"We came back and tied it, we just couldn't get over the hump," said Wienhorst, who finished the game with eight points. "We didn't think they were a second-half team. We put pressure on them and fought our way back into the game. I love playing with these guys so much. We play as a team. When you play together as a team, it's incredible what you can do."
What the Lancers almost did Saturday was advance to the Final Four for just the second time in school history.
Instead, sophomores Spencer Childress and Cain Atkinson made clutch three-pointers and free throws down the stretch for the Yellow Jackets, who improved 30-4 with their 15th-straight win.
"They jumped out on us in the first half," said Grace senior Eric Gaff, who tallied 14 points and seven rebounds in his last game as a Lancer. "We didn't get our rhythm going. We didn't give up, though. We had guys step up, like Duke Johnson and Jacob Peattie. We played hard, we just dug too big of a hole."
With the four-point win, Black Hills State advanced to today's semifinal game against No. 1 seed Oklahoma Wesleyan (33-2).
In today's other semifinal game, No. seed Bethel (33-3) will play College of the Ozarks (24-10).
Bethel advanced to the Final Four by beating Bellevue, last year's runner-up, while Ozarks advanced by beating Indiana Wesleyan.
The championship game is scheduled for Tuesday night.
Grace will certainly miss its two seniors, Wienhorst and Gaff, and while Saturday's loss to the Yellow Jackets stung, there was a glimpse into the future.
Johnson, a 6-10 freshman who played at Jimtown High School, led the Lancers in scoring with 17 points, filling in for Gaff, who was saddled with foul trouble.
Peattie, a 6-3 sophomore from Logansport High School, tallied 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting and was a spark plug off the bench for the Lancers in all three tournament games.
"That's a tribute to our team," Kessler said of making the second-half comeback. "They never quit, and I'm proud of them for that. We had different guys step up, and this time it was Jacob Peattie and Duke Johnson. We're going to miss our seniors. Eric Gaff and Michael Wienhorst have given a lot to this program, on and off the court. They're both outstanding young men."
Junior Kyle Plumlee chipped in with nine points for the Lancers, while sophomore David Henry scored eight points and junior David Swanson finished with five points.
Atkinson led the Yellow Jackets with 15 points, 14 of which came in the second half.
Sophomore Luke Enos scored 13 points, while senior Aaron Sutton scored 12 and senior A.J. Fodness and Childress score 10 points each.
In Gaff and Wienhorst, the Lancers lose a combo that helped lead them to three-straight 20-win seasons, something that hadn't happened in 20 years.
Gaff became just the seventh player in Grace history to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds in a career. He led the nation this season in rebounding (12 per game) and double-doubles (24).
Wienhorst became the 40th Lancer to eclipse the 1,000-point plateu and is among the leaders in free throw percentage for a career.
"These last four years have been the best blessing in my life," Wienhorst said of his time at Grace. "I loved playing with these guys, it's been a blessing."
Kessler said Gaff has been contacted by a number of agents and has a chance to play professionally in Europe or Australia, and that Wienhorst is studying to become a youth pastor.
"Eric Gaff was a no-name player in high school, now he's got a chance to play professionally," said Kessler. "He's come further in four years than any player I've ever had. Michael has been a great player for us, and the kid is gonna go to seminary now and wants to be a youth pastor. That right there is more important to me than winning any game. These guys have been leaders for our program. We're certainly going to miss them."
BLACK HILLS 77, GRACE 73
G 25 48 - 73
BH 41 36 - 77
Grace - Swanson 2 1-2 5, Wienhorst 2 2-2 8, Gaff 4 6-9 14, Henry 3 0-0 8, Plumlee 3 2-4 9, Peattie 5 1-4 12, Merrell 0 0-0 0, Euler 0 0-0 0, Johnson 6 5-6 17. Totals 25 17-27 73.
Black Hills - Childress 3 2-2 10, Johnson 0 1-2 1, Enos 5 3-6 13, Pottorff 2 0-1 5, Atkinson 3 6-8 15, Sutton 5 0-0 12, Haney 1 1-2 4, Fodness 5 0-0 10, Herman 2 1-2 7. Totals 26 14-23 77.
Three-point goals - Grace 6 (Wienhorst 2, Henry 2, Plumlee 1, Peattie 1), Black Hills 11 (Atkinson 3, Childress 2, Herman 2, Pottorff, Haney). Rebounds - Grace 38 (Gaff 7), Black Hills 36 (Fodness 11). Turnovers - Grace 11, Black Hills 13. Fouls - Grace 23, Black Hills 17. Fouled out - Johnson (Black Hills). Records: Grace 22-11, Black Hills 30-4.
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