Lancers Storm Back To Beat No. 6 IWU, Move Into First
January 29, 2023 at 8:08 p.m.
Lancers Storm Back To Beat No. 6 IWU, Move Into First
By Josh Neuhart-
The No. 7 Lancers trailed the Crossroads League leaders Indiana Wesleyan by 22 on the road with a 32-10 deficit.
But the Lancers authored a resurgence for the ages. Grace’s comeback cagers completed the astonishing revival, winning by 14 with the final score of 92-78.
The win moves the Lancers (20-3, 10-3 CL) into a tie with No. 6 IWU for first place in the league standings with just five games remaining.
Elijah Malone starred for Grace. The center scored 23 of his 29 points in the second half, shooting 12 of 15 from the floor and a perfect 9 of 9 after halftime.
Grace outscored the Wildcats (16-7, 10-3 CL) by 24 in the second half in the stunning comeback.
The first half was largely one to forget for Grace; the Lancers’ offense was slow out of the gate.
The Lancers came up empty on their first eight possessions, allowing IWU to grab a 14-0 lead out of the gate. The Wildcats made six of their first eight field goals to charge ahead.
Grace finally got on the scoreboard when Jakob Gibbs stole the ball and raced down for a two-handed dunk.
The Wildcats’ early onslaught continued, however; IWU amassed a 24-4 lead as Grace was forced to burn two early timeouts. The Wildcats shot 71 percent in the opening six minutes, including 80 percent (4-5) on 3-pointers.
Malone did his best to jumpstart Grace’s offense with a trio of powerful dunks, but the Lancers’ sloppy offense continued to hamper the visiting Lancers.
IWU built its largest lead of the game of 22 points with the score 32-10 with seven minutes left in the first half.
With less than six minutes left in the half, Grace still faced a 21-point deficit. But the Lancers began to show signs of life.
Carter Stoltzfus swished two straight jumpers, and Frankie Davidson made a dunk and a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to chop IWU’s lead to 12.
IWU was forced to call a timeout, which seemed to steady the Wildcats a bit.
Another late triple from Davidson maintained Grace’s momentum, and Grace ended the half defensively with a block. A desperation halfcourt heave by Jakob Gibbs in the final seconds just missed the mark, but Grace still went into halftime with a glimmer of hope after battling back to a 42-32 deficit.
After their sluggish start, Grace still recovered to shoot 52 percent as a team in the half. IWU kept the hot hand throughout the half by shooting 59 percent. The Wildcats were also 50 percent (5 of 10) from the 3-point line.
Davidson led Grace with eight points, scoring all of his points in the final four minutes.
The second half belonged to the Lancers. Malone scored a reverse layup on the opening possession, and the teams traded baskets over the first few minutes.
A triple from Malone brought Grace within eight, and he followed that up with a floater in the lane.
A fastbreak resulted in a layup from Cade Gibbs, bringing Grace to within five at 56-51. IWU was forced to call timeout in front of its stunned home crowd.
The Wildcats clung to their small cushion for the next few minutes, but the Lancers continued to push. A 3-pointer from Malone at the top of the key pulled Grace within one at 68-67 with less than eight minutes to play.
The Lancers took their first lead of the game with a tip-in layup from Wadding. Wadding then made a steal and layup to increase the lead to three, and Malone followed that up with a composed post finish to push Grace’s lead to five at 73-68.
The Wildcats burned another timeout as they faced a five-point hole with five minutes to play. The tactic did not work as Grace continued to pour it on the Wildcats. Grace raced out to an 11-point lead as the Lancers attacked the basket relentlessly. Malone was unstoppable as Grace’s halfcourt offense hit its stride through the center.
The Wildcats had no answer for Grace’s assault. From the 8:37 mark until 1:52 remaining, Grace outscored IWU 25-2. The Lancers made eight of their nine shots while holding IWU to 1 of 10 shooting.
The atmosphere for much of the second half felt like a Grace home game as a vocal throng of Lancer supporters cheered on Grace’s immaculate recovery. Grace’s crowd erupted with each made basket, turning Grace’s 22-point deficit into a foggy memory.
Incredibly Grace made 12 of its final 13 field goals, including 6 of 7 from beyond the arc.
Grace ran out the clock in the final minute, swishing a 3-pointer on its final possession to put an exclamation mark on the win.
Grace shot 64 percent from the floor and 56 percent from the 3-point line. IWU shot 56 percent as a team and 50 percent on triples.
Malone’s game-high 29 points came with 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot. Jakob Gibbs shot 7 of 10 for his 19 points, adding three assists and two steals.
Cade Gibbs produced 14 points, 7 boards and 3 assists, and Davidson ended with 11 points and four assists.
Stoltzfus (7 points, 2 assists), Ian Scott (7 points, 3 blocks, 2 assists) and Wadding (5 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists) were key figures as well.
The Lancers will return home on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. clash with Mt. Vernon Nazarene. Wednesday will also be Grace’s Hoops for Hope game to raise funds for Hagen Knepp, the Lancers’ freshman player who is battling cancer. A GoFundMe page is active now for Knepp, collecting funds to support the medical expenses for the Knepps. To donate online, visit www.gofundme.com/hoopin-for-hagen.
Lady Lancers Falter In Second Half
MARION - Grace’s women’s basketball team fell 80-65 to Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon.
With the loss Grace moves to 16-7 on the season and 9-4 in the Crossroads League.
The Lady Lancers sit in third place in the Crossroads League and currently hold a two game advantage over fourth place.
Grace went to Feldman early and often in the first half. The junior center scored the Lady Lancers’ first eight points as Grace built an early lead.
Kaylee Patton was the first Grace player other than Feldman to score to push the Lady Lancers ahead 10-7.
While IWU had no answer for Grace’s inside presence, the Wildcats (20-3, 11-2 CL) 3-point shooting helped them take a narrow 17-14 advantage.
Patton responded to the Wildcats shooting, with a trifecta of her own, which she followed up with a jumpshot on the next possession to recaptured the lead for Grace.
Grace would carry a 21-19 lead into the second quarter after Kate Rulli grabbed a late offensive rebound and scored on the tip-in attempt.
The Lady Lancers’ lead was short lived however, as the Wildcats converted another 3-point shot to edge back in front.
Grace responded with poise though and Feldman again began to assert her will on the Wildcats interior defense.
Maddie Ryman converted a shot from beyond on the arc to push Grace’s lead to five at the midpoint of the quarter.
IWU would tie the game 34, but a pair of Kiersten Findley free throws sent Grace into the halftime intermission with a 36-34 lead.
Grace shot a blistering 66 percent in the first quarter including 71 percent in the second quarter. The Lady Lancers outscored the Wildcats 24-12 in the paint.
Feldman had 15 first half points on 7-9 shooting. She was only slowed by three first half fouls.
Early in the second half Karlee Feldman was forced off the court with a questionable call which resulted in her fourth foul and Grace’s offense sputtered. The Lady Lancers committed five turnovers in the opening 3:42 of the half.
The Lady Lancers’ lead dissipated as the Wildcats went unconscious from the field. IWU finished the quarter shooting 73 percent from the field and hit five shots from beyond the arc.
Grace was outscored 31-17 in the quarter and went into the final Fram trailing 65-53.
The Lady Lancers tried to muster a comeback in the fourth quarter, but could not cut into the lead as they fell 80-65.
“This one was frustrating,” said Grace head coach Dan Davis. “It felt like some things outside our control really affected the game. I thought we played as good a 20 minutes as we have all season in the first half. Then in the third quarter when Karlee got called for her questionable fourth foul, we had some unforced turnovers and they hit some crazy shots. Still more good to take from this game than bad as we look to close out this season the way we know we can. Proud of how the girls kept their composure.”
Feldman led the way for Grace with 19 points. Ryman, Patton and Findley all scored 12 points. Grace and IWU both shot 52 percent for the game, but the Wildcats connected on 10 3-point shots compared to Grace's three.
Grace will be back in action on Wednesday, as they travel to Mt. Vernon to take on the Cougars at 7 p.m.
Two School Records Fall At GVSU
ALLENDALE, Mich. - A pair of seniors for Grace’s track and field team set school records at the Bill Clinger Classic at Grand Valley State.
The Lancers had multiple athletes hit NAIA standards during the meet as well.
Dimitri Margaritidis broke the first record in the mile. He broke Grace’s indoor mile record from 2012 (Randy Sterk), racing to a time of 4:08.49. His time is good for the second-fastest mark in the NAIA this season.
Margaritidis also teamed up with Logan Rufenacht, Tanner Sallee and Luke Smith to run a 3:25.66 in the 4x400-meter relay.
Bryan Hernandez-Rios set Grace’s second record of the day. He ran a time of 8:19.65 in the 3,000, the fifth-fastest time currently in the NAIA.
Brandon Kleber was runner-up in the 5,000 (15:08.30), and Justin Van Prooyen was ninth in the race (15:34.78).
The 400 event had four Grace finishers in the top 25. Logan Rufenacht (1:52.74) led the way in fourth place with Tanner Sallee (1:52.91) one spot behind. Luke Smith (17th place, 1:58.46) and Brady Hunsberger (22nd, 1:59.01) also impressed.
The shot put saw Zaryn Rumfelt (47-feet-11.5) and Brock Lengacher (46-9) finish fourth and fifth respectively, and Rumfelt was also 10th in the weight throw.
In the 3,000 open run, Korry Hamlin nabbed a fourth-place showing at 8:43.97, and Noah Zimmerman was fourth in the long jump at 21-8.75.
On the women’s side, Kylie Sauder hit the NAIA “A” mark in the 800 with a time of 2:16.12. It’s the third-fastest time in the NAIA. Anna Hulstedt (2:19.45), Heather Plastow (2:20.01) and Tara Friesen (2:23.44) finished in a tight group in the race.
During the 5,000, Carmen Trier hit the NAIA “B” standard when she finished in second place at 18:21.13. Mallory Hiatt (18:27.73) was not far behind in third place, and Katie Acker was ninth at 18:53.33.
The women’s 4x400 relay team of Sauder, Plastow, Friesen and Hulstedt placed fifth with a time of 4:08.06.
Mackenzie DeLong won the shot put with a heave of 41-feet-5.25.
Olivia Adkins was busy with a 20th-place finish in the 400 (1:01.94) and 35th-place showing in the 200 (27.57).
The Lancers will head to Indiana Wesleyan on Feb. 4 for their next meet before shifting into postseason competition. Grace will compete at NCCAA Indoor Nationals on Feb. 10-11 at Cedarville.
The No. 7 Lancers trailed the Crossroads League leaders Indiana Wesleyan by 22 on the road with a 32-10 deficit.
But the Lancers authored a resurgence for the ages. Grace’s comeback cagers completed the astonishing revival, winning by 14 with the final score of 92-78.
The win moves the Lancers (20-3, 10-3 CL) into a tie with No. 6 IWU for first place in the league standings with just five games remaining.
Elijah Malone starred for Grace. The center scored 23 of his 29 points in the second half, shooting 12 of 15 from the floor and a perfect 9 of 9 after halftime.
Grace outscored the Wildcats (16-7, 10-3 CL) by 24 in the second half in the stunning comeback.
The first half was largely one to forget for Grace; the Lancers’ offense was slow out of the gate.
The Lancers came up empty on their first eight possessions, allowing IWU to grab a 14-0 lead out of the gate. The Wildcats made six of their first eight field goals to charge ahead.
Grace finally got on the scoreboard when Jakob Gibbs stole the ball and raced down for a two-handed dunk.
The Wildcats’ early onslaught continued, however; IWU amassed a 24-4 lead as Grace was forced to burn two early timeouts. The Wildcats shot 71 percent in the opening six minutes, including 80 percent (4-5) on 3-pointers.
Malone did his best to jumpstart Grace’s offense with a trio of powerful dunks, but the Lancers’ sloppy offense continued to hamper the visiting Lancers.
IWU built its largest lead of the game of 22 points with the score 32-10 with seven minutes left in the first half.
With less than six minutes left in the half, Grace still faced a 21-point deficit. But the Lancers began to show signs of life.
Carter Stoltzfus swished two straight jumpers, and Frankie Davidson made a dunk and a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions to chop IWU’s lead to 12.
IWU was forced to call a timeout, which seemed to steady the Wildcats a bit.
Another late triple from Davidson maintained Grace’s momentum, and Grace ended the half defensively with a block. A desperation halfcourt heave by Jakob Gibbs in the final seconds just missed the mark, but Grace still went into halftime with a glimmer of hope after battling back to a 42-32 deficit.
After their sluggish start, Grace still recovered to shoot 52 percent as a team in the half. IWU kept the hot hand throughout the half by shooting 59 percent. The Wildcats were also 50 percent (5 of 10) from the 3-point line.
Davidson led Grace with eight points, scoring all of his points in the final four minutes.
The second half belonged to the Lancers. Malone scored a reverse layup on the opening possession, and the teams traded baskets over the first few minutes.
A triple from Malone brought Grace within eight, and he followed that up with a floater in the lane.
A fastbreak resulted in a layup from Cade Gibbs, bringing Grace to within five at 56-51. IWU was forced to call timeout in front of its stunned home crowd.
The Wildcats clung to their small cushion for the next few minutes, but the Lancers continued to push. A 3-pointer from Malone at the top of the key pulled Grace within one at 68-67 with less than eight minutes to play.
The Lancers took their first lead of the game with a tip-in layup from Wadding. Wadding then made a steal and layup to increase the lead to three, and Malone followed that up with a composed post finish to push Grace’s lead to five at 73-68.
The Wildcats burned another timeout as they faced a five-point hole with five minutes to play. The tactic did not work as Grace continued to pour it on the Wildcats. Grace raced out to an 11-point lead as the Lancers attacked the basket relentlessly. Malone was unstoppable as Grace’s halfcourt offense hit its stride through the center.
The Wildcats had no answer for Grace’s assault. From the 8:37 mark until 1:52 remaining, Grace outscored IWU 25-2. The Lancers made eight of their nine shots while holding IWU to 1 of 10 shooting.
The atmosphere for much of the second half felt like a Grace home game as a vocal throng of Lancer supporters cheered on Grace’s immaculate recovery. Grace’s crowd erupted with each made basket, turning Grace’s 22-point deficit into a foggy memory.
Incredibly Grace made 12 of its final 13 field goals, including 6 of 7 from beyond the arc.
Grace ran out the clock in the final minute, swishing a 3-pointer on its final possession to put an exclamation mark on the win.
Grace shot 64 percent from the floor and 56 percent from the 3-point line. IWU shot 56 percent as a team and 50 percent on triples.
Malone’s game-high 29 points came with 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 blocked shot. Jakob Gibbs shot 7 of 10 for his 19 points, adding three assists and two steals.
Cade Gibbs produced 14 points, 7 boards and 3 assists, and Davidson ended with 11 points and four assists.
Stoltzfus (7 points, 2 assists), Ian Scott (7 points, 3 blocks, 2 assists) and Wadding (5 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists) were key figures as well.
The Lancers will return home on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. clash with Mt. Vernon Nazarene. Wednesday will also be Grace’s Hoops for Hope game to raise funds for Hagen Knepp, the Lancers’ freshman player who is battling cancer. A GoFundMe page is active now for Knepp, collecting funds to support the medical expenses for the Knepps. To donate online, visit www.gofundme.com/hoopin-for-hagen.
Lady Lancers Falter In Second Half
MARION - Grace’s women’s basketball team fell 80-65 to Indiana Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon.
With the loss Grace moves to 16-7 on the season and 9-4 in the Crossroads League.
The Lady Lancers sit in third place in the Crossroads League and currently hold a two game advantage over fourth place.
Grace went to Feldman early and often in the first half. The junior center scored the Lady Lancers’ first eight points as Grace built an early lead.
Kaylee Patton was the first Grace player other than Feldman to score to push the Lady Lancers ahead 10-7.
While IWU had no answer for Grace’s inside presence, the Wildcats (20-3, 11-2 CL) 3-point shooting helped them take a narrow 17-14 advantage.
Patton responded to the Wildcats shooting, with a trifecta of her own, which she followed up with a jumpshot on the next possession to recaptured the lead for Grace.
Grace would carry a 21-19 lead into the second quarter after Kate Rulli grabbed a late offensive rebound and scored on the tip-in attempt.
The Lady Lancers’ lead was short lived however, as the Wildcats converted another 3-point shot to edge back in front.
Grace responded with poise though and Feldman again began to assert her will on the Wildcats interior defense.
Maddie Ryman converted a shot from beyond on the arc to push Grace’s lead to five at the midpoint of the quarter.
IWU would tie the game 34, but a pair of Kiersten Findley free throws sent Grace into the halftime intermission with a 36-34 lead.
Grace shot a blistering 66 percent in the first quarter including 71 percent in the second quarter. The Lady Lancers outscored the Wildcats 24-12 in the paint.
Feldman had 15 first half points on 7-9 shooting. She was only slowed by three first half fouls.
Early in the second half Karlee Feldman was forced off the court with a questionable call which resulted in her fourth foul and Grace’s offense sputtered. The Lady Lancers committed five turnovers in the opening 3:42 of the half.
The Lady Lancers’ lead dissipated as the Wildcats went unconscious from the field. IWU finished the quarter shooting 73 percent from the field and hit five shots from beyond the arc.
Grace was outscored 31-17 in the quarter and went into the final Fram trailing 65-53.
The Lady Lancers tried to muster a comeback in the fourth quarter, but could not cut into the lead as they fell 80-65.
“This one was frustrating,” said Grace head coach Dan Davis. “It felt like some things outside our control really affected the game. I thought we played as good a 20 minutes as we have all season in the first half. Then in the third quarter when Karlee got called for her questionable fourth foul, we had some unforced turnovers and they hit some crazy shots. Still more good to take from this game than bad as we look to close out this season the way we know we can. Proud of how the girls kept their composure.”
Feldman led the way for Grace with 19 points. Ryman, Patton and Findley all scored 12 points. Grace and IWU both shot 52 percent for the game, but the Wildcats connected on 10 3-point shots compared to Grace's three.
Grace will be back in action on Wednesday, as they travel to Mt. Vernon to take on the Cougars at 7 p.m.
Two School Records Fall At GVSU
ALLENDALE, Mich. - A pair of seniors for Grace’s track and field team set school records at the Bill Clinger Classic at Grand Valley State.
The Lancers had multiple athletes hit NAIA standards during the meet as well.
Dimitri Margaritidis broke the first record in the mile. He broke Grace’s indoor mile record from 2012 (Randy Sterk), racing to a time of 4:08.49. His time is good for the second-fastest mark in the NAIA this season.
Margaritidis also teamed up with Logan Rufenacht, Tanner Sallee and Luke Smith to run a 3:25.66 in the 4x400-meter relay.
Bryan Hernandez-Rios set Grace’s second record of the day. He ran a time of 8:19.65 in the 3,000, the fifth-fastest time currently in the NAIA.
Brandon Kleber was runner-up in the 5,000 (15:08.30), and Justin Van Prooyen was ninth in the race (15:34.78).
The 400 event had four Grace finishers in the top 25. Logan Rufenacht (1:52.74) led the way in fourth place with Tanner Sallee (1:52.91) one spot behind. Luke Smith (17th place, 1:58.46) and Brady Hunsberger (22nd, 1:59.01) also impressed.
The shot put saw Zaryn Rumfelt (47-feet-11.5) and Brock Lengacher (46-9) finish fourth and fifth respectively, and Rumfelt was also 10th in the weight throw.
In the 3,000 open run, Korry Hamlin nabbed a fourth-place showing at 8:43.97, and Noah Zimmerman was fourth in the long jump at 21-8.75.
On the women’s side, Kylie Sauder hit the NAIA “A” mark in the 800 with a time of 2:16.12. It’s the third-fastest time in the NAIA. Anna Hulstedt (2:19.45), Heather Plastow (2:20.01) and Tara Friesen (2:23.44) finished in a tight group in the race.
During the 5,000, Carmen Trier hit the NAIA “B” standard when she finished in second place at 18:21.13. Mallory Hiatt (18:27.73) was not far behind in third place, and Katie Acker was ninth at 18:53.33.
The women’s 4x400 relay team of Sauder, Plastow, Friesen and Hulstedt placed fifth with a time of 4:08.06.
Mackenzie DeLong won the shot put with a heave of 41-feet-5.25.
Olivia Adkins was busy with a 20th-place finish in the 400 (1:01.94) and 35th-place showing in the 200 (27.57).
The Lancers will head to Indiana Wesleyan on Feb. 4 for their next meet before shifting into postseason competition. Grace will compete at NCCAA Indoor Nationals on Feb. 10-11 at Cedarville.
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