Lancers 10 of 21 at free throw line in 61-60 loss to No. 2 Wesleyan
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Dale Hubler-dhubler@timesuniononline.com
WINONA LAKE – Jim Kessler smiled. He praised his team. Grace College's veteran men's basketball coach went on to say he couldn't be more proud of his team. The Lancers had just held second-ranked Indiana Wesleyan to seven made field goals in the second half and 32 points below its season average. Kessler called it his team's best effort of the season. In a back-and-forth Crossroads League clash, Grace did just about everything it needed to do to win – except make free throws. The Lancers were just 10 of 21 at the charity stripe Tuesday night, and it cost them in the long run, as Indiana Wesleyan escaped the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center with a 61-60 victory. Ironically, the Wildcats won the game at the free throw line after junior Zac Vandewater, who grew up in Warsaw and later was a standout at Whitko High School, made a pair of charity shots with four seconds remaining. While the Lancers struggled at the stripe, Indiana Wesleyan finished the game 15 of 20 at the free throw line. “I couldn’t be more proud of our guys,” said Kessler. “This is the effort we were looking for. They executed both offensively and defensively and did everything we asked them to do. “You can’t go 10 of 21 at the free throw line though,” added Kessler. “In all three of our losses, free throws have been our nemesis. We had opportunities at the line to put the game away. Wesleyan knows they escaped. This proves we can play with anyone.” The loss drops Grace to 5-3 overall and 0-2 in Crossroads League play, while Indiana Wesleyan improves to 9-1 overall and 2-0 in league action. “We found a way to win,” said Indiana Wesleyan coach Greg Tonagel. “That’s our best offensive team we’ve had in years. You wouldn’t know it watching tonight, but it is. We had guys on the bench in foul trouble. We faced a lot of adversity, but we found a way to win.” Indiana Wesleyan was just 21 of 52 from the field overall and 4 of 18 from the arc. The Wildcats made just 7 of 25 field goal attempts in the second half. Making 14 of 17 free throws in the second half, however, helped Indiana Wesleyan stay at the top of the conference. “It was special,” Vandewater said of making the free throws for the win. “This is the closest we play to my house. It’s a huge win. Every win feels good. Grace is a good team.” The Lancers, who led 32-31 at halftime, finished the game 23 of 52 from the field overall and 4 of 14 from the arc. Grace led 42-37 midway through the second half, but the Wildcats responded with a 15-4 run. The Lancers led 60-56 with 1:45 to play when sophomore Logan Irwin, who also grew up in Warsaw and was a standout at Whitko with Vandewater, made 1 of 2 free throws. Wesleyan trimmed Grace’s advantage to one with a three-pointer from 6-foot-9 senior R.J. Mahurin, who transferred after playing at Indiana State for three years. With 33 seconds remaining, the Lancers had a chance to up their lead, but junior Niko Read missed a pair of charity tosses. After Vandewater made both of his free throws with four seconds left, Grace had a chance to win, but a three-pointer by Irwin was off the mark. Vandewater led Indiana Wesleyan with 12 points. “I’m proud of Zac,” Tonagel said of Vandewater. “He’s our most improved player. He’s a kid that has put in a lot of time. He’s alway been a defensive stopper, but he’s come back this year and played well offensively. I’m proud of him.” Freshman Lane Mahurin added nine points, D.J. Bettinger and Nathan Bubash scored eight points each and R.J. Mahurin, who scored 33 in Indiana Wesleyan’s win over Bethel last week, chipped in with seven. Senior guard Jordan Weidner went into Tuesday’s game averaging a team-best 19 points per game. Foul trouble and Grace’s defense held him to six points. “Our defense did a good job on them,” said Kessler. “A big key was our defense on Weidner. The guys did a good job helping on him.” Senior Greg Miller, who was bothered by a wrist injury on his shooting hand, and Read led Grace with 13 points each. Irwin added 11 points for the Lancers, while sophomores Caleb Featherston and Brandon Vanderhegghen chipped in with eight points each. In search of their first conference win of the season, the Lancers play at Goshen College Saturday at 3 p.m. Indiana Wesleyan hosts conference foe St. Francis Saturday.
