WINONA LAKE - Outside of a win, Grace College men's basketball coach Jim Kessler got what he wanted from Tuesday's Mid-Central Conference opener with Bethel.
"You want to put yourselves in a position to win the game, and we did that," said Kessler, whose Lancers took the NAIA Division II second-ranked Pilots to the wire before falling 93-87 in overtime in front of a large, lively crowd at the Orthopaedic Capital Center.After the two teams were knotted at 82 at the end of regulation, Grace took an 87-84 lead in the five-minute overtime session.
That was all the points the Lancers put on the scoreboard, as the Pilots closed the game on a 9-0 run, leaving Grace's fans feeling blue on a night so many were reading red.
For Grace, it was the Lancers' third loss in four games, dropping them to 5-3 on the season. The Pilots, who hadn't really been challenged yet this season until Tuesday evening, improved to 9-0.
"It was a tough draw for us," said Kessler. "We had to play the best team in the conference right out of the blocks. We're a young team. Bethel, this was a game they were supposed to win. You want to give yourselves a chance to win the game, and we had a chance to win the game."
The Lancers certainly had a chance to win the game, as they came out in the first half looking like maybe they were the No. 2 team in the country.
With four minutes remaining the first half, Grace led the game 44-29.
But what looked like the makings of an epic win for Grace turned into an offensive meltdown by the Lancers, as they lost their shooting touch and found themselves on the wrong end of a 20-4 run.
A field goal by junior Ryne Lightfoot, a NorthWood High School graduate and son of Bethel coach Mike Lightfoot, gave the Pilots a 49-48 lead with 17:03 remaining in regulation.
It was the Pilots' first lead in the game.
"We played really well in the first half," said Kessler. "We really got out of the blocks. I think we surprised them a bit. In the second half, we just couldn't close it out. I knew they (the Pilots) would make a run. It wasn't a matter of whether, it was when."
A field goal and free throw by Lightfoot gave Bethel a 73-63 lead with 4:46 to play in regulation, but the Lancers refused to go away.
Henry converted two free throws and then hit a clutch three-pointer to draw Grace within five, 73-68.
After a basket by each team, Grace junior David Swanson hit four straight free throw attempts, cutting Bethel's lead to one, 75-74, with 2:32 to play in regulation.
With 1:20 to play, a pair of free throws by Grace senior Michael Wienhorst gave the Lancers an 80-79 lead.
A free throw by Lightfoot with 27 seconds left in regulation gave the Pilots an 82-80 advantage, but a tip-in basket by Swanson knotted the game at 82, sending the up-and-down contest into overtime.
Tuesday's setback was just the second loss in the OCC for the Lancers, who are 17-2 in their new home.
Both losses have come to the Pilots, who beat Grace 66-65 in Winona Lake last season.
With Tuesday's win, Bethel now leads the all-time series 58-56.
Bethel senior William Walker led all scorers with 32 points, finishing the game 12 of 17 from the field.
"He's a great player," Kessler said of Walker. "You can't guard him 1-on-1. They try and go to him, as they should. So many of the shots he takes, you can't defend."
Lightfoot added 20 points, while Tyler Brown scored 15 points and former Wawasee standout Kory Lantz scored nine points for Bethel. Former Triton star Jake Everett, a freshman at Bethel, came off the bench to score two points for the Pilots.
For the Lancers, Gaff finished with 24 points and 17 rebounds, while Swanson chipped in with 19 points and nine rebounds and Wienhorst and Henry scored 16 points each.
Not only was Tuesday's game another classic Grace-Bethel battle, it was a showcase of former area high school stars.
Counting players on both teams, Tuesday's contest featured players from Warsaw, Wawasee, Triton, Plymouth, NorthWood, Concord, Jimtown, Penn and Fort Wayne Blackhawk.
The Lancers are in action again Tuesday at MCC foe Marian.
