INDIANAPOLIS – Grace College’s men’s basketball team had its three-game winning streak snapped at No. 22 Marian on Tuesday, at the Lancers fell 73-59 to the host Knights. The Knights made 10 three-pointers in the game, pulling away late to hand the Lancers (16-10; 8-7 Crossroads League) the 14-point loss. Logan Irwin and Greg Miller netted 15 points for Grace, but the Lancers committed 14 turnovers, hurting their own cause. The Knights (14-5; 10-4 CL) drilled seven treys in the opening period. They used five treys during a crucial stretch midway in the first half, helping turn a 12-10 deficit into a 29-19 advantage. Marian took a 32-26 lead into the halftime break. Turnovers plagued the Lancers at the start of the second half. Grace turned the ball over six times in the first six minutes. Marian quickly reopened a double-digit lead at 40-26 as Grace took over four minutes to score its first points after halftime. The Lancers found their stride soon after, however, fueled by a 12-2 run. A three-pointer from Brandon Vanderhegghen cut Marian’s cushion to four at 42-38 with 11 minutes remaining. A timeout from the Knights seemed to calm Marian’s nerves. The Knights produced seven unanswered points to seize a 51-40 advantage. Grace countered behind five points from Irwin and four from Jared Treadway, cutting the gap to 56-52 with 5:39 remaining. But the Lancers’ offensive touch faded after that point. Over the next three minutes, Grace did not make a field goal, and Marian produced 10 free throws over the final 4:53 to stave off Grace’s upset bid. Grace, which had won eight of its past nine games entering Tuesday night, remains in sixth place in the league standings with three games to play. Grace is two games out of fourth place and three games out of second place. Miller’s 15 points came on 7-of-11 shooting with seven boards, and Irwin’s 15 points included six assists and five rebounds. Vanderhegghen had nine points off the bench, Caleb Featherston scored eight points on 4-of-6 shooting, and Treadway added seven points. The Lancers will take on 16th-ranked Huntington on the road Saturday at 3 p.m. Grace knocked off the Foresters 81-76 on Jan. 18. Nick Achille led Marian with 20 points, while Jason Riley scored 17 and Aaron Evans added 12. The 14-point victory was the 200th career win for Marian coach Todd Lickliter.
