WINONA LAKE - Grace’s men’s basketball team continued its torrid start to the season with a 117-71 rout of Governors State on Wednesday.
The No. 2 Lancers (5-0) enjoyed a season-high output in points. Six Lancers scored in double figures despite no player for Grace seeing more than 24 minutes of action.
Grace shot a sizzling 64 percent from the floor; the Lancers made 16 3-pointers while hitting 50 percent of those attempts.
The game began with the Jaguars scoring the first five points. Elijah Malone answered with dunks on the next two possessions, and a 3-pointer from Jakob Gibbs quickly tied the score at 7-7.
The next 10 minutes were played evenly. Grace held a slight 27-23 advantage with 8:17 on the clock, but the Lancers were about to blow the game wide open.
Grace ended the half on a furious 36-8 run, including an 18-0 charge. Jakob Gibbs and Malone each scored five points during Grace’s 18-0 run, which ballooned Grace’s lead to 52-27.
Gibbs added five more points over the final 42 seconds of the half as Grace raced in front 63-31 at halftime.
Grace shot 21 of 31 overall from the floor in the half (68 percent). Jakob Gibbs scored 18 of his points before halftime, and Cade Gibbs (12 points) and Malone (11 points) both made all four of their field goals.
Three minutes into the second half, Grace’s lead had grown to 40 points after a fastbreak layup from Jake Wadding. Soon after, Grace brought in its substitutes for the rest of the contest.
The Lancers’ cushion hovered around 40 for the remainder of the contest as the home team rolled to a 46-point victory.
Grace is averaging 99.8 points per game through its first five games, outscoring its opponents by nearly 37 points per game.
Jakob Gibbs scored a game-high 20 points, shooting 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. Malone had 17 points on 7 of 8 shooting, and he added six boards and two assists.
Cade Gibbs made 5 of 6 from the floor, tallying 16 points and four assists, and Ian Raasch finished with 12 points.
Gage Sefton did not miss a field goal (4 of 4) while producing 11 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block, and Brett Sickafoose had 11 points while making three 3-pointers.
Ian Scott amassed 8 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks, and Marcus Davidson tacked on 8 points, 2 boards and 2 assists.
Jake Wadding tallied 6 points, 5 boards and 2 assists, Brycen Graber had 5 points, 9 assists and 2 steals, and Carter Stoltzfus passed out four assists without a turnover.
The Lancers will resume play next week. Grace will host St. Xavier in a doubleheader with the women’s team on Tuesday; the women will tip off at 6 p.m. with the men to start at 8 p.m.
Grace will then start Crossroads League play at the end of next week, traveling to Marian on Nov. 18.

Men’s Soccer To Play For Crossroads League Championship
WINONA LAKE - Grace College’s men’s soccer team clinched its spot in the Crossroads League tournament championship game with a 2-1 win over Spring Arbor on Wednesday night.
An early goal saw the Lancers (14-3-2) jump out to a lead that they would hold for 70 minutes.
A marker from Spring Arbor with just 8:48 left in the game put the result in question, But Martim Sequeira answered back less than two-minutes later to send Grace to the championship game.
The championship game will be hosted by the ninth ranked Bethel Pilots on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Cougars (11-5-4) started Wednesday night’s semifinal contest as the aggressor. Spring Arbor’s pressure forced the Lancers into a turnover deep in their own territory, and the resulting shot forced a leaping save from Conci to prevent the early marker.
The Lancers survived a pair of SAU corner kicks before Martim Sequeria scored his first of two goals.
Nelu Calcai sent in a crossing pass to Sequeira whose bicycle kick ricocheted off the top corner of the goal frame. Undeterred, Sequeira hustled back to his feet and scored his own rebound to push the lancers ahead 1-0 with 31 minutes left.
The Lancers controlled the pace of play for the remainder of the half, but neither side threatened as the game became a possession battle in the midfield.
At the half the shots were nearly identical with Grace holding a narrow 5-4 advantage. Matteo Conci saved both shots SAU put on goal, the Lancers scored on their only shot on target.
In the second half Conci smothered an early shot from the Cougars, as Grace clung to the one-goal lead.
The game continued to be a tactical chess match with neither squad opening opportunities for the other to take advantage on the counter attack.
As the clock ticked under 10 minutes it seemed as if Grace was destined to win 1-0. However, Spring Arbor had one last gasp left.
After patiently building an attack from the midfield, the Cougars were awarded a corner kick and scored on the ensuing try to tie the game with just 8:48 left.
The tie would be short lived though, as the Lancers struck back a minute and 33 seconds later.
The ball came to Sequeira on a failed clearing attempt from the Cougars and the senior wasted little time blasting a shot on goal that took a deflection before hitting the back of the net to Grace back on top.
One last desperate attempt from SAU came up empty as Grace secured the 2-1 victory.
Sequeria led all players with five shots and Conci made three saves in the win. The Lancers outshot the Cougars 21-9.