Grace Outlasts Taylor For Record Breaking Win
December 11, 2022 at 10:01 p.m.
Grace Outlasts Taylor For Record Breaking Win
By Josh Neuhart-
The victory set a pair of records for Grace. The Lady Lancers set a new record consecutive wins (7) and most wins in the first 10 contests of the season (9).
Maddie Ryman and Karlee Feldman paced Grace offensively in the record breaking win with 23 points apiece.
Grace (9-1 ,5-0 Crossroads League) remains unbeaten in conference play and is tied atop the standing with No. 8 Marian.
The game was a defensive grind to start the first quarter. Grace and Taylor (7-5, 2-3 CL) combined to go empty through their first eight possessions of the game.
Grace was the first to draw blood as Maddie Ryman converted a fastbreak opportunity with a 3-point bucket. The offensive struggle continued for both teams though, with Taylor holding a 6-5 lead with three minutes to go in the quarter.
Kiersten Findley scored on a tough drive and converted from the charity stripe to complete the 3-point play to push the Lady Lancers ahead 8-6.
Kate Rulli converted off of an inbound pass, but the Trojans had a late bucket to send the contest to the quarter break with the Trojans ahead 11-10.
The Trojans hit their first two shots of the second quarter to increase the margin to 16-10.
Karlee Feldman erased the deficit by herself going on a solo 6-0 run, before Ryman recaptured the lead for Grace on the next possession.
A pair of transition buckets from Kaylee Patton and Ryman had the Lady Lancers ahead 26-21, but timely shooting from beyond the arc kept the Trojans within striking distance.
Feldman made a bucket aa the buzzer to send Grace into the intermission with a 35-30 lead.
Feldman had already secured a double-double at halftime with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Grace shot 36 percent from the floor compared to Taylor’s 40 percent.
Grace started the third quarter cold offensively, and saw their lead quickly evaporate. The Trojans went on a 14-2 as they established a 44-37 lead.
Grace used a scoring run from a quartet of Lady Lancers to draw back even at 44 apiece.
Taylor answered with another timely 3-point bucket that seemed to sway momentum back in favor of the Trojans, but Feldman answered with a 3-point play of her own as the two teams continued to trade blows.
Grace would end the quarter ahead 53-51 after Ryman hit a pull-up jumper to end the frame.
The exchange of trifectas continued into the early portions of the final stanza as the Trojans clung to a 61-60 lead with 6:36 remaining.
The Lady Lancers would vault back into the lead for the final time when Peyton Murphy lofted a pass to Feldman who calmly turned and sank the bucket to push Grace ahead. A pair of Ryman Free throws gave the Lady Lancers a three-point cushion.
Taylor drew back within one but an acrobatic and-1 score from Ryman seemed to be the dagger in the Trojans heart as Grace held on for the 71-66 victory.
“This was a heavyweight fight between two tough programs,” said Grace head Coach Dan Davis. “I thought both teams made plays throughout the game, but I have to give credit to our girls for wearing Taylor down and executing in the fourth quarter. Another good Crossroads League win before the break.”
Feldman was an unstoppable force on the boards with 18 rebounds to go along with her 23 points. She also added three steals and a block.
Murphy added 11 points and Findley had a well rounded game with 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
The Lady Lancers won the rebounding battle 43-36 and converted 22 of their 31 free throw attempts.
Grace will return home on Tuesday for a 2 p.m. tipoff against Iowa Wesleyan.
Lancers Upended For First Loss Of The Year
UPLAND, Ind. - Four days ago, Grace’s men’s basketball team rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat Cornerstone on the road.
On Saturday, Grace could not repeat that recipe. The Lancers trailed Taylor by 16 at halftime, coming up short in a comeback bid to fall 68-62 on the road.
It results in No. 2 Grace’s first defeat of the season after rattling off 11 straight wins to begin the year (11-1, 4-1 Crossroads League).
Grace tied a season-high with 17 turnovers in the defeat and shot just 20 percent on 3-pointers (2 of 10) and 50 percent at the free throw line (8 of 16).
The Lancers, who have five players averaging double digits in scoring, had just two players top 10 points on Saturday.
The Lancers began the game sluggish, giving up the first nine points of the game to force an early timeout.
Grace cut the gap to two as the Lancers seemed to get back on track. Grace used a 13-6 run to rally back, including six points from Jakob Gibbs.
But Taylor quickly reasserted control. The Trojans forged ahead by 13 with 5:45 remaining in the half, but Grace managed to chop the deficit to seven thanks to 10 quick points from Frankie Davidson and Elijah Malone.
The Trojans had the final word of the half, however. Taylor exploded for 12 points over the final three minutes, aided by a trio of 3-pointers to charge into halftime with a 42-26 lead.
Taylor was very efficient on offense in the half, making 56 percent of its shots from the floor and 46 percent on 3s.
Grace, on the other hand, shot 44 percent from the floor. The Lancers also made just one 3-pointer before halftime and turned the ball over 10 times.
The Lancers struggled to eat into Taylor’s cushion to begin the second half. Six minutes into the half, Grace turned to its bench.
The substitutes sparked a quick 7-0 run to jolt life into the Lancers’ lineup, bringing Grace to within seven.
Grace continued to battle, whittling Taylor’s lead smaller and smaller over the closing minutes.
With 2:20 on the clock, Ian Scott made a tough, contested layup to pull the Lancers within two at 62-60.
Grace got a steal on the next possession but failed to convert on a potential game-tying drive.
Taylor scored on their next possession, but Scott responded with a jumper to keep it a two-point game.
The Trojans then sank two free throws, and the Lancers misfired on their final three shot attempts to seal the outcome.
Davidson had scoring honors for Grace with 16 points to go along with six boards, and Jakob Gibbs had 10 points, 6 boards and 2 steals.
Cade Gibbs finished with 9 points, 2 assists and 2 steals, and Brycen Graber tallied 7 points, 3 steals and 2 assists.
Scott had 9 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals and 1 block, and Malone had six points and five boards.
The Lancers will head to Arizona tomorrow for a pair of games next week. Grace will battle at No. 3 Arizona Christian on Tuesday at 7 p.m. for a high-profile NAIA matchup. On Wednesday, Grace will play at Park Gilbert.
Lancers Compete At Grand Valley To End The Year
ALLENDALE, Mich. - A portion of Grace’s track and field team tackled their final meet of the calendar year on Friday.
Part of the Lancers’ distance crew competed at the Holiday Open, hosted by Grand Valley State in Michigan.
Grace posted several personal-best marks, a school record and a few NAIA standards in a solid showing.
Heather Plastow posted her second straight school record. A week after setting Grace’s indoor mile school record, Plastow broke the 5,000-meter record on Friday. She crossed the finish line in 18:03.29, hitting the NAIA “A” standard in the process.
Tara Friesen also hit a big PR in the 800, racing to a time of 2:20.
On the men’s side, Dimitri Margiritidis had a PR in the 5,000. His time of 14:43.32 also hit the NAIA “A” mark, his second consecutive week of hitting an NAIA standard.
Three other Lancers also ran in the 5,000, all three of which had PRs. Brandon Kleber (15:11.19), Logan Rufenacht (15:19.68) and Justin Van Prooyen (15:22.12) all impressed. Rufenacht even recovered from being tripped to still post his PR.
The Lancers will compete again on Jan. 14 for the Sean Brady Invitational at Trine.
The victory set a pair of records for Grace. The Lady Lancers set a new record consecutive wins (7) and most wins in the first 10 contests of the season (9).
Maddie Ryman and Karlee Feldman paced Grace offensively in the record breaking win with 23 points apiece.
Grace (9-1 ,5-0 Crossroads League) remains unbeaten in conference play and is tied atop the standing with No. 8 Marian.
The game was a defensive grind to start the first quarter. Grace and Taylor (7-5, 2-3 CL) combined to go empty through their first eight possessions of the game.
Grace was the first to draw blood as Maddie Ryman converted a fastbreak opportunity with a 3-point bucket. The offensive struggle continued for both teams though, with Taylor holding a 6-5 lead with three minutes to go in the quarter.
Kiersten Findley scored on a tough drive and converted from the charity stripe to complete the 3-point play to push the Lady Lancers ahead 8-6.
Kate Rulli converted off of an inbound pass, but the Trojans had a late bucket to send the contest to the quarter break with the Trojans ahead 11-10.
The Trojans hit their first two shots of the second quarter to increase the margin to 16-10.
Karlee Feldman erased the deficit by herself going on a solo 6-0 run, before Ryman recaptured the lead for Grace on the next possession.
A pair of transition buckets from Kaylee Patton and Ryman had the Lady Lancers ahead 26-21, but timely shooting from beyond the arc kept the Trojans within striking distance.
Feldman made a bucket aa the buzzer to send Grace into the intermission with a 35-30 lead.
Feldman had already secured a double-double at halftime with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Grace shot 36 percent from the floor compared to Taylor’s 40 percent.
Grace started the third quarter cold offensively, and saw their lead quickly evaporate. The Trojans went on a 14-2 as they established a 44-37 lead.
Grace used a scoring run from a quartet of Lady Lancers to draw back even at 44 apiece.
Taylor answered with another timely 3-point bucket that seemed to sway momentum back in favor of the Trojans, but Feldman answered with a 3-point play of her own as the two teams continued to trade blows.
Grace would end the quarter ahead 53-51 after Ryman hit a pull-up jumper to end the frame.
The exchange of trifectas continued into the early portions of the final stanza as the Trojans clung to a 61-60 lead with 6:36 remaining.
The Lady Lancers would vault back into the lead for the final time when Peyton Murphy lofted a pass to Feldman who calmly turned and sank the bucket to push Grace ahead. A pair of Ryman Free throws gave the Lady Lancers a three-point cushion.
Taylor drew back within one but an acrobatic and-1 score from Ryman seemed to be the dagger in the Trojans heart as Grace held on for the 71-66 victory.
“This was a heavyweight fight between two tough programs,” said Grace head Coach Dan Davis. “I thought both teams made plays throughout the game, but I have to give credit to our girls for wearing Taylor down and executing in the fourth quarter. Another good Crossroads League win before the break.”
Feldman was an unstoppable force on the boards with 18 rebounds to go along with her 23 points. She also added three steals and a block.
Murphy added 11 points and Findley had a well rounded game with 7 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
The Lady Lancers won the rebounding battle 43-36 and converted 22 of their 31 free throw attempts.
Grace will return home on Tuesday for a 2 p.m. tipoff against Iowa Wesleyan.
Lancers Upended For First Loss Of The Year
UPLAND, Ind. - Four days ago, Grace’s men’s basketball team rallied from a 10-point deficit to beat Cornerstone on the road.
On Saturday, Grace could not repeat that recipe. The Lancers trailed Taylor by 16 at halftime, coming up short in a comeback bid to fall 68-62 on the road.
It results in No. 2 Grace’s first defeat of the season after rattling off 11 straight wins to begin the year (11-1, 4-1 Crossroads League).
Grace tied a season-high with 17 turnovers in the defeat and shot just 20 percent on 3-pointers (2 of 10) and 50 percent at the free throw line (8 of 16).
The Lancers, who have five players averaging double digits in scoring, had just two players top 10 points on Saturday.
The Lancers began the game sluggish, giving up the first nine points of the game to force an early timeout.
Grace cut the gap to two as the Lancers seemed to get back on track. Grace used a 13-6 run to rally back, including six points from Jakob Gibbs.
But Taylor quickly reasserted control. The Trojans forged ahead by 13 with 5:45 remaining in the half, but Grace managed to chop the deficit to seven thanks to 10 quick points from Frankie Davidson and Elijah Malone.
The Trojans had the final word of the half, however. Taylor exploded for 12 points over the final three minutes, aided by a trio of 3-pointers to charge into halftime with a 42-26 lead.
Taylor was very efficient on offense in the half, making 56 percent of its shots from the floor and 46 percent on 3s.
Grace, on the other hand, shot 44 percent from the floor. The Lancers also made just one 3-pointer before halftime and turned the ball over 10 times.
The Lancers struggled to eat into Taylor’s cushion to begin the second half. Six minutes into the half, Grace turned to its bench.
The substitutes sparked a quick 7-0 run to jolt life into the Lancers’ lineup, bringing Grace to within seven.
Grace continued to battle, whittling Taylor’s lead smaller and smaller over the closing minutes.
With 2:20 on the clock, Ian Scott made a tough, contested layup to pull the Lancers within two at 62-60.
Grace got a steal on the next possession but failed to convert on a potential game-tying drive.
Taylor scored on their next possession, but Scott responded with a jumper to keep it a two-point game.
The Trojans then sank two free throws, and the Lancers misfired on their final three shot attempts to seal the outcome.
Davidson had scoring honors for Grace with 16 points to go along with six boards, and Jakob Gibbs had 10 points, 6 boards and 2 steals.
Cade Gibbs finished with 9 points, 2 assists and 2 steals, and Brycen Graber tallied 7 points, 3 steals and 2 assists.
Scott had 9 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals and 1 block, and Malone had six points and five boards.
The Lancers will head to Arizona tomorrow for a pair of games next week. Grace will battle at No. 3 Arizona Christian on Tuesday at 7 p.m. for a high-profile NAIA matchup. On Wednesday, Grace will play at Park Gilbert.
Lancers Compete At Grand Valley To End The Year
ALLENDALE, Mich. - A portion of Grace’s track and field team tackled their final meet of the calendar year on Friday.
Part of the Lancers’ distance crew competed at the Holiday Open, hosted by Grand Valley State in Michigan.
Grace posted several personal-best marks, a school record and a few NAIA standards in a solid showing.
Heather Plastow posted her second straight school record. A week after setting Grace’s indoor mile school record, Plastow broke the 5,000-meter record on Friday. She crossed the finish line in 18:03.29, hitting the NAIA “A” standard in the process.
Tara Friesen also hit a big PR in the 800, racing to a time of 2:20.
On the men’s side, Dimitri Margiritidis had a PR in the 5,000. His time of 14:43.32 also hit the NAIA “A” mark, his second consecutive week of hitting an NAIA standard.
Three other Lancers also ran in the 5,000, all three of which had PRs. Brandon Kleber (15:11.19), Logan Rufenacht (15:19.68) and Justin Van Prooyen (15:22.12) all impressed. Rufenacht even recovered from being tripped to still post his PR.
The Lancers will compete again on Jan. 14 for the Sean Brady Invitational at Trine.
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092