Former Warsaw Star Lifts Cougars Over Lancers
January 15, 2018 at 5:16 p.m.
Former Warsaw Star Lifts Cougars Over Lancers
By Dale [email protected]
The Spring Arbor University sophomore said so after his team's 87-82 overtime win over the Grace College Lancers, and he certainly played like it front of a crowd of people who cheered for him during his prep career at Warsaw Community High School.
Marandet, who along with current Indiana Wesleyan University standout freshman Kyle Mangas led the Warsaw Tigers to a 25-2 record and Class 4A semistate appearance in 2016, scored 21 points and dished out eight assists in his homecoming Saturday.
After the teams were knotted at 69-69 at the end of regulation, Marandet scored the first six points of overtime, as his 13th-ranked squad ultimately improved to 17-3 overall and 5-3 in the league standings.
Grace fell to 7-13 and 0-8.
“We do things the blue collar way ... we're gritty, not pretty,” said Marandet. “We just stuck with the game plan and kept going at them.
“I didn’t want to lose. Going into the last two minutes of the game it was getting kind of scary. My team kept instilling confidence in me and kept telling me to take over.
"This is one of the greatest arenas in the country at the NAIA level, and playing here and seeing old Warsaw fans that were there when I played in high school was really awesome.”
Zach Meddendorp scored a game-high 23 points for Spring Arbor, while Drew Zuidema tallied 16 points, Brandon Durnell 13, and Jeff Beckman 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Spring Arbor used its three-point shooting to race out to an 9-0 lead and then a 12-2 advantage.
Grace trailed 26-11 midway through the first half before closing the gap to 41-33 by halftime.
The Lancers got within three a number of times in the second half but couldn't get over that hump until a pair of free throws by junior Logan Godfrey brought Grace within one, 62-61, with 4:52 remaining.
Another charity toss by Godfrey tied the game 34 seconds later, and the Lancers took their first lead when sophomore Matt Jennings converted a pair of free throw attempts with 3:08 left in regulation.
In the five-minute overtime session, Grace fell behind early with Marandet's impressive play, but the Lancers trailed just 82-80 after sophomore Jaret Sons hit a three-pointer at the 1:22 mark.
A pair of free throws by Jennings with 46 seconds left brought Grace within three, 85-82.
In a number of ways Saturday's game epitomized Grace's season, especially its 0-8 start in league play, as the Lancers had chances to win late in the game but fell short.
“I thought down the stretch we played about as well as we could play,” said Grace College coach Jim Kessler. “Spring Arbor hit a couple huge threes.
“We turned it around ... in the first half they scored in transition off turnovers, and in the second half we flipped that around. We outrebounded them (35-30), which I thought was a good thing. We shot well at the line (22 of 24). I mean, how much closer can you get?”
Five Grace players scored in double figures, led by Sons’ 16 points. Godfrey finished with 15 ponts, while Jennings and fellow freshman Haden Deaton scored 14 and 12, respectively, and senior Erik Bowen tallied 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
The Lancers, who have lost five in a row and eight of their last nine, have two road games this week. Grace travels to Marion Tuesday to play No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan, and then visits Taylor University Saturday.
Grace’s next home game is slated for Jan. 23 against Mt. Vernon Nazarene University.
SPRING ARBOR UNIVERSITY 87, GRACE COLLEGE 82 OT
SAU 41 28 18 – 87
GC 33 36 13 – 82
SAU – Zach Meddendorp 9-13 4-4 23, Jeff Beckman 4-7 3-5 11, Drew Zuidema 5-8 1-2 16, Tommy Hamilton 0-6 0-0 0, Paul Marandet 8-13 5-7 21, Ben Geschke 1-3 0-0 3, Luke Barber 0-3 0-0 0, Brandon Durnell 5-8 1-2 13. Totals 32-61 14-20 87.
Grace – Braxton Linville 1-2 2-2 4, Matt Jennings 3-9 6-6 14, Haden Deaton 3-8 5-6 12, Logan Godfrey 5-13 5-5 15, Erik Bowen 5-7 1-1 11, Stephen Halstead 0-2 0-0 0, Charlie Warner 2-5 3-4 8, Jaret Sons 6-8 0-0 16, Martin Schiele 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 26-56 22-24 82.
Three-pointers – SAU 9 (Zuidema 5, Durnell 2, Meddendorp, Geschke), Grace 8 (Sons 4, Jennings 2, Deaton, Warner); Rebounds – SAU 30 (Beckman 13), Grace 35 (Bowen 7); Turnovers – SAU 10, Grace 13; Fouls – SAU 19, Grace 19; Fouled out – Deaton; Records: SAU 17-3 (5-3 CL), Grace 7-13 (0-8 CL)
The Spring Arbor University sophomore said so after his team's 87-82 overtime win over the Grace College Lancers, and he certainly played like it front of a crowd of people who cheered for him during his prep career at Warsaw Community High School.
Marandet, who along with current Indiana Wesleyan University standout freshman Kyle Mangas led the Warsaw Tigers to a 25-2 record and Class 4A semistate appearance in 2016, scored 21 points and dished out eight assists in his homecoming Saturday.
After the teams were knotted at 69-69 at the end of regulation, Marandet scored the first six points of overtime, as his 13th-ranked squad ultimately improved to 17-3 overall and 5-3 in the league standings.
Grace fell to 7-13 and 0-8.
“We do things the blue collar way ... we're gritty, not pretty,” said Marandet. “We just stuck with the game plan and kept going at them.
“I didn’t want to lose. Going into the last two minutes of the game it was getting kind of scary. My team kept instilling confidence in me and kept telling me to take over.
"This is one of the greatest arenas in the country at the NAIA level, and playing here and seeing old Warsaw fans that were there when I played in high school was really awesome.”
Zach Meddendorp scored a game-high 23 points for Spring Arbor, while Drew Zuidema tallied 16 points, Brandon Durnell 13, and Jeff Beckman 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Spring Arbor used its three-point shooting to race out to an 9-0 lead and then a 12-2 advantage.
Grace trailed 26-11 midway through the first half before closing the gap to 41-33 by halftime.
The Lancers got within three a number of times in the second half but couldn't get over that hump until a pair of free throws by junior Logan Godfrey brought Grace within one, 62-61, with 4:52 remaining.
Another charity toss by Godfrey tied the game 34 seconds later, and the Lancers took their first lead when sophomore Matt Jennings converted a pair of free throw attempts with 3:08 left in regulation.
In the five-minute overtime session, Grace fell behind early with Marandet's impressive play, but the Lancers trailed just 82-80 after sophomore Jaret Sons hit a three-pointer at the 1:22 mark.
A pair of free throws by Jennings with 46 seconds left brought Grace within three, 85-82.
In a number of ways Saturday's game epitomized Grace's season, especially its 0-8 start in league play, as the Lancers had chances to win late in the game but fell short.
“I thought down the stretch we played about as well as we could play,” said Grace College coach Jim Kessler. “Spring Arbor hit a couple huge threes.
“We turned it around ... in the first half they scored in transition off turnovers, and in the second half we flipped that around. We outrebounded them (35-30), which I thought was a good thing. We shot well at the line (22 of 24). I mean, how much closer can you get?”
Five Grace players scored in double figures, led by Sons’ 16 points. Godfrey finished with 15 ponts, while Jennings and fellow freshman Haden Deaton scored 14 and 12, respectively, and senior Erik Bowen tallied 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds.
The Lancers, who have lost five in a row and eight of their last nine, have two road games this week. Grace travels to Marion Tuesday to play No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan, and then visits Taylor University Saturday.
Grace’s next home game is slated for Jan. 23 against Mt. Vernon Nazarene University.
SPRING ARBOR UNIVERSITY 87, GRACE COLLEGE 82 OT
SAU 41 28 18 – 87
GC 33 36 13 – 82
SAU – Zach Meddendorp 9-13 4-4 23, Jeff Beckman 4-7 3-5 11, Drew Zuidema 5-8 1-2 16, Tommy Hamilton 0-6 0-0 0, Paul Marandet 8-13 5-7 21, Ben Geschke 1-3 0-0 3, Luke Barber 0-3 0-0 0, Brandon Durnell 5-8 1-2 13. Totals 32-61 14-20 87.
Grace – Braxton Linville 1-2 2-2 4, Matt Jennings 3-9 6-6 14, Haden Deaton 3-8 5-6 12, Logan Godfrey 5-13 5-5 15, Erik Bowen 5-7 1-1 11, Stephen Halstead 0-2 0-0 0, Charlie Warner 2-5 3-4 8, Jaret Sons 6-8 0-0 16, Martin Schiele 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 26-56 22-24 82.
Three-pointers – SAU 9 (Zuidema 5, Durnell 2, Meddendorp, Geschke), Grace 8 (Sons 4, Jennings 2, Deaton, Warner); Rebounds – SAU 30 (Beckman 13), Grace 35 (Bowen 7); Turnovers – SAU 10, Grace 13; Fouls – SAU 19, Grace 19; Fouled out – Deaton; Records: SAU 17-3 (5-3 CL), Grace 7-13 (0-8 CL)
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