LIVONIA, Mich. - For the second straight game, Grace’s men’s basketball team had a 30-point scorer.
On Friday afternoon, it was Brett Sickafoose who powered the No. 8 Lancers to a 103-100 overtime win at No. 21 Madonna.
Sickafoose drilled eight 3-pointers in a career-high performance, helping the Lancers seize the top-25 victory.
Grace made a season-high 10 triples in the outing, topping the team’s three previous games combined.
The game started in Grace’s favor as the Lancers scored seven unanswered points. Ian Raasch scored seven points during the opening spurt.
Sickafoose canned two 3s in the first three minutes of action, setting the stage for a busy afternoon.
Grace maintained a slight cushion on the Crusaders in the first half, pulling ahead 26-17 after an ‘and-1’ by Hunter Walston.
But Madonna raced in front with a 15-4 run, taking their first lead of the contest.
The Lancers responded with four points from Raasch and two quick triples from Sickafoose, forcing a timeout from Madonna.
Grace rolled into halftime with a 46-38 lead. Grace shot 64 percent from the floor, helping overcome 10 first-half turnovers.
Brycen Graber scored on Grace’s first possession of the second half, but the Crusaders abruptly erased Grace’s lead with 10 straight points.
The remainder of the second half was a nervy battle with the teams scarcely being separated on the scoreboard. The lead never waffled more than five points in either team’s favor over the final 18 minutes of regulation.
With less than four minutes left, Gage Sefton converted a basket and foul to push Grace ahead 87-85.
Sickafoose made a putback layup with 45 seconds left to hand Grace a three-point lead, but Madonna scored to trim the lead to one.
Ian Scott then sank two free throws, handing Grace a 93-90 lead with 18 seconds on the clock.
Madonna tried a desperation 3-pointer in the closing seconds; the Crusaders airballed the shot but grabbed the rebound and scored while being fouled, allowing MU to tie the game with one second left and effectively send the game to overtime.
The overtime period was a free throw battle. All but two of the 17 combined points in overtime came from the charity stripe, including all 10 of Grace’s points.
Sickafoose began Grace’s scoring when he was fouled on a 3-pointer, hitting all three foul shots.
The Lancers’ defense kept the Crusaders largely quiet in overtime, allowing Grace to ice the win from the free throw line. Grace made four foul shots over the final 39 seconds.
For the game, Grace shot 52 percent from the field, 42 percent on 3s and 76 percent on free throws.
Scott shot eight of nine from the floor, amassing 19 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and two steals.
Raasch tallied 18 points, six rebounds and three steals. Carter Stoltzfus had nine points, four boards and four assists.
Graber tallied seven points, five assists and two steals, Sefton had seven points with five rebounds, and Walston notched five points, three rebounds and two assists.
The Lancers will return home on Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. battle against Michigan-Dearborn.