WINONA LAKE - Grace College’s women’s basketball picked up a 57-48 victory over Roosevelt on Tuesday night.
The Lancers (2-0) were led by a stout defensive effort, which forced the Lakers into 27 turnovers which Grace turned into 21 points.
Maddie Ryman led the way offensively, pouring in 19 points and dishing out five assists.
Kaylee Patton scored Grace’s first four points of the contest as Lancers came out of the gate with a 6-0 run.
Grace led 12-5 in the middle of the quarter, but missed their final five field goal attempts of the first stanza and held a 17-14 lead entering the second quarter.
The Lakers closed the gap to a single point early in the quarter but the Lancers’ offense began to get in rhythm as they connected on 50 percent of their shots in the quarter.
Maddie Ryman and Kensie Ryman both connected on 3-point shots as the Lancers’ lead stretched to double digit points.
A late layup from the Lakers sent the game into an intermission with Grace leading 32-22.
Roosevelt came charging back early in the second half, cutting the 10-point halftime deficit down to 32-31 by the 6:15 mark of the third quarter.
Grace turned the ball over five times in the opening four minutes, and didn’t score their first points until the 5:54 mark when Maddie Ryman connected on a pair of free throws.
After seeing their lead dwindle to a single point the Lancers locked down the Lakers holding them to just three more points in the quarter and carried a 41-34 lead into the final quarter.
Roosevelt refused to go away quietly and mustered another run at the Lancers lead in the fourth quarter. The Lakers started the final stanza with a 8-1 and tied the game at 42 apiece.
After the game was tied, Kensie Ryman hit a deep 3-point shot that seemed to energize the Lancer squad. Peyton Murphy added a layup to push Grace’s lead back to double digits.
The Lancers went 9-16 from the free throw line down the stretch to ice the game away and hold on for the 57-48 win.
“What gritty win for this team,” Grace head coach Dan Davis commented. “Really proud of these ladies for showing their toughness on a night where we didn’t play our best ball. I thought Kensie was a big spark off the bench for us and really helped us solidify the win down the stretch.”
Grace will now turn its attention to the Val Weinstein Class, which will kickoff on Friday night at 6 p.m.

Grace Cross Country Teams Secure Bids To NAIA Nationals
WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace’s cross country squads both locked up at-large invitations to the 2023 NAIA National Championships.
The final field of 36 men’s teams and 36 women’s teams were released on Tuesday. It marks the fifth all-time appearance for the men’s team and third for the women. Grace’s men and women are both making their third straight trip to the NAIA championships.
The 2023 NAIA National Championships are scheduled for Nov. 17 in Vancouver, Wash.
The women’s team landed at No. 15 in the final NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll, and the men’s team was ranked just outside of the top 10 at 12th in the nation.
Five men’s teams and five women’s teams from the Crossroads League qualified for the NAIA race this season.
Grace has another championship race scheduled for this Friday. The Lancers will run at the 2023 NCCAA National Championships, which will be held at Warsaw Community High School’s cross country course. The men’s race will start at 9 a.m. with the women racing at 11 a.m.