MARION, Ind. - Grace’s men’s basketball team passed a major road test on Saturday.
The No. 21 Lancers took down No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan 93-83 in a marquee NAIA Top 25 showdown.
Grace (6-2, 2-0 CL) has now won five straight games and sits tied atop the Crossroads League standings after two games.
The Lancers began the game with confidence, shredding the Wildcats’ defense apart.
Grace scored four baskets at the rim almost immediately into the contest. A 3-pointer from Brycen Graber put the Lancers ahead 11-2.
Gage Sefton was a consistent source of offense in the half. He scored eight points over the first seven minutes to keep Grace’s attack at a high level.
Midway into the half, Grace opened up its largest lead of the half. Justin DeGraaf canned a 3-pointer to put the Lancers ahead 30-17.
The Wildcats (6-2, 0-2 CL) slowly chipped away at Grace’s cushion, however. IWU managed to tie the score at 38s in the final minute, but Sefton ended the half with a driving layup as Grace led 40-38 at halftime.
Grace shot 53 percent from the floor and outrebounded IWU by five. The Wildcats shot 41 percent from the floor but helped themselves with just two turnovers.
Sefton tallied 12 points before halftime, and Ian Scott amassed 8 points, 6 assists and 4 rebounds.
Two early turnovers from Grace allowed IWU to take its first lead of the game with 18 minutes to play.
The Lancers faced a five-point deficit and called timeout to steady themselves.
The break worked as Grace closed the gap and tied the score three minutes later. Three free throws from Brett Sickafoose put Grace back on top, and the Lancers never trailed again.
With nine minutes to go, Graber buried a pair of 3-pointers in less than a minute to push Grace on top 68-60.
DeGraaf followed up with another triple as Grace led by 11 and forced a Wildcat timeout.
The Lancers would not be slowed, however. After the timeout, Carter Stoltzfus promptly stole a pass and made a layup. A minute later, Ian Scott put the exclamation point on the game with a drive through the middle of the lane and a thunderous dunk.
Grace led by 17 at 81-64 with 5:03 remaining. The Wildcats did their best to scramble back, but the Lancers were never truly threatened.
The Lancers made five free throws over the final 44 seconds to lock up the win.
Scott was a force, amassing 20 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 blocks and 1 steal, all while shooting 7 of 9 from the floor.
Raasch made 8 of 13 for his 19 points, adding four boards and two steals.
Graber finished the game with 13 points and three assists, and Sefton tallied 12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block and 1 steal.
Sickafoose scored eight points with a pair of steals, and Hunter Walston notched 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.
DeGraaf (8 points, 3 rebounds) and Stoltzfus (4 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists) were key contributors off the bench.
Grace shot 59 percent from the floor, 33 percent from the 3-point line and 91 percent (21-23) from the free throw line.
IWU shot 49 percent from the floor and committed 12 turnovers in the second half.
Next week, the Lancers return home on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. battle against IU Columbus.

Grace Volleyball Falls In Thrilling NAIA Opening Round
WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace’s volleyball team lost a wild NAIA Opening Round match to Missouri Baptist in five sets on Saturday night.
The match saw Grace battle from behind throughout to force a fifth set, but the Spartans snatched the fifth-set win to earn a spot in the NAIA’s final site in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Lancers were playing in their first home NAIA tournament match in program history; Grace was making its first appearance in the NAIA National Championships in 23 years (2001) and its second appearance ever.
Grace’s season is not done, however. The Lancers will shift their attention to defending their NCCAA crown. Grace will participate in the 2024 NCCAA National Championships in Branson, Mo., beginning on Dec. 4.
Saturday’s match had several dramatic twists and turns. Three of the sets were not particularly close, and one set went deep into extra points.
Missouri Baptist struck first by claiming the first set. The Spartans’ offense was electric at the onset, amassing 15 kills on a .414 percentage.
Grace did its best to keep pace, but MBU’s offense was too strong in a 25-18 win.
The second set was a memorable one. Grace jumped out to a fast 8-4 lead to force an early timeout.
But MBU rattled off a 5-0 run and a 4-0 run to battle back. The score remained tight until the latter stages when the Spartans edged on top 24-21.
But Grace clawed back with two straight block points. Grace scored four in a row to take a 25-24 lead, but the Spartans stayed alive. MBU staved off two set points and then served for the set twice themselves.
The Lancers turned to their seniors down the stretch, and they delivered. Anna Ballengee had two kills and a share of a block point, and Alisha Voss had a kill as the Lancers won a dramatic 31-29 victory. Ballengee had six kills in the set, and Livia Tate and Jadyn Ross each had four block assists.
The Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center crowd was electric throughout the second set.
Grace’s momentum did not carry into the third set, however. The Lancers’ offense fell flat in the set. Grace mustered just six kills as the Spartans rolled to a 25-13 win.
But Grace reversed the script in the fourth set. The Lancers blitzed the Spartans with a 25-11 victory. MBU committed 10 attack errors in the set, and Tate pounded out five kills on offense.
The Lancers began the fifth set well. Grace led 6-2 thanks to a pair of kills from Voss, and MBU was forced to call timeout.
An ace from Riley Owens and two kills and a block from Tate pushed Grace ahead 12-8. The MOCC crowd was electric as the Spartans had to burn their final timeout.
MBU proved its mettle, however, with a remarkable turnaround. The Spartans rattled off seven straight points to win the match 15-12.
Voss led Grace’s offense with 13 kills, adding a solo block and six block assists. Tate amassed nine kills and six block assists while hitting at a .474 percentage.
Sahara Bee had 7 kills, 3 block assists and 3 digs, Ross notched seven kills with four block assists, and Ballengee finished with eight kills.
Liz Schmidt produced 22 digs, McKenzie Stakely had 12 kills, Riley Owens posted 20 assists with 14 digs, and Morgan Syoen notched 19 assists with two aces.