WINONA LAKE – Jim Kessler wanted to get the ball in Greg Miller’s hands more often. The veteran Grace College men’s basketball coach’s idea worked, as Miller scored a game-high 22 points Tuesday night and led the Lancers to a 59-54 overtime win against Crossroads League opponent Marian University. “He’s one of the best forwards in the conference, and he creates matchup problems,” Kessler said of the 6-foot-6 Miller, who also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds and notched his 10th double-double of the season. “Whether he shoots or passes, he makes things happen. He’s a key player for us, and I wanted to get him more touches.” Miller finished the game 8 of 14 from the field overall, 2 of 4 from the arc, and 4 of 6 at the free throw line. A bucket by Miller with 1:20 remaining in regulation tied the game at 48-48, sending the contest into overtime. With 30 seconds left in the five-minute extra session, a bucket by Miller gave the Lancers a 56-52 advantage as they went on to snap a two-game skid. “We found ourselves in overtime,” said Kessler, whose team scored just 27 points in the first 20-minute half and 21 in the second before netting 11 points in overtime. “We didn’t play particularly well offensively, but we did enough defensively to win,” added Kessler. The Lancers, who fell from 12th to 22nd in the latest NAIA Division II national poll, were 20 of 48 (42 percent) from the field overall, 2 of 12 from the arc, and 17 of 22 at the charity stripe. The Knights, on the other hand, shot just 32 percent from the field in the loss, making just 21 of 66 attempts overall and 7 of 29 from three-point range. “There was a sense of urgency,” said Kessler. “Technique is good, but sometimes you just have to get it done, and that’s what we did tonight.” Senior point guard Bruce Grimm Jr. added 20 points and seven assists for the Lancers, while junior frontliner Dennis Williams chipped in with 10 points and five rebounds. The trio of Miller, Grimm and Williams combined to make 18 of Grace’s 20 field goals and scored 52 of the Lancers’ 59 points. “Greg had another great game, 22 points and 10 rebounds, that’s great production,” said Kessler. “Bruce played a Bruce kind of game. When he has a (stat) line like that, we’re pretty good. And Dennis came through with a big effort. The big guy was 3 of 5 from the field and 4 of 4 at the line. He stepped up for us.” Sophomore Karl Columbus scored four points for Grace, while seniors Elliot Smith and Lee Ross scored two points and a free throw, respetively. For the Knights, who are coached by former Butler and Iowa coach Todd Lickliter, junior Nick Achille scored 14 points, while classmates Drew Adams and Jake Stafford scored 12 points each. With Tuesday’s win, Grace improved to 14-6 overall and 6-3 in league play, while Marian fell to 12-7 and 4-5. With the conference season now half over, Bethel and Indiana Wesleyan sit atop the standings with 8-1 records. Grace and Taylor are 6-3, followed by St. Franics (5-4), Marian (4-5), Spring Arbor (3-6), Huntington (3-6), Mt. Vernon Nazarene (2-7) and Goshen (0-9). The Lancers are in action again Saturday at Mt. Vernon Nazarene, and then host fourth-ranked Indiana Wesleyan Tuesday at the Orthopaedic Capital Center.
GRACE 59, MARIAN 54 (OT) Mar 19 29 6 – 54 Gra 27 21 11 – 59 Marian – Nick Achille 6-16 0-0 14, Jake Stafford 6-17 0-0 12, Dwight Cliff 1-5 0-0 3, Jason Riley 3-8 0-0 6, Chad Roberts 0-3 0-0 0, Drew Adams 4-7 0-0 12, John Goodlow 1-3 4-4 6, Trey Hendrix 0-1 0-0 0, Donnie Abrams 0-0 0-0 0, Jess Chadwell 0-6 1-2 1. Totals 21-66 5-6 54. Grace – Elliot Smith 0-7 2-2 2, Greg Miller 8-14 4-6 22, Karl Columbus 2-5 0-0 4, Jared Treadway 0-0 0-0 0, Bruce Grimm Jr. 7-12 6-7 20, Lee Ross 0-0 1-3 1, Niko Read 0-1 0-0 0, Caleb Featherston 0-0 0-0 0, Brandon Vanderhegghen 0-1 0-0 0, Tannan Peters 0-1 0-0 0, Dennis Williams 3-5 4-4 10, Kyle Fillman 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-48 17-22 59. Three-pointers – Marian 7 (Adams 4, Achille 2, Cliff), Grace 2 (Miller 2); Rebounds – Marian 30 (Goodlow 7), Grace 34 (Miller 10); Assists – Marian 9 (Stafford 3), Grace 11 (Grimm 7); Turnovers – Marian 10, Grace 14; Fouls – Marian 17, Grace 10; Fouled out – Riley, Roberts; Records: Marian 12-7 (4-5 CL), Grace 14-6 (6-3 CL)
