WINONA LAKE – One of the greatest small-college rivalries will continue Saturday when Grace College hosts Bethel College for a women’s and men’s basketball doubleheader at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center. After the Lancers and Lady Lancers swept the Pilots in Mishawaka on Jan. 3, the Pilots now head to Winona Lake for the final regular-season games of the season. Each game has implications on next week’s Crossroads League Tournament and potential national tournament qualification. The women’s game will tip off at 1 p.m. with the men’s game to follow at 3 p.m. WOMEN’S GAME Grace is seeking its fourth straight win over Bethel in the final game of the Crossroads League season. Both teams have secured a berth in the Crossroads Leauge Tournament, with the Pilots locked in as the No. 8 seed. Bethel will face conference champion Indiana Wesleyan in the opening round. Grace, on the other hand, could be the No. 6 or No. 7 seed. The Lady Lancers need a win over the Pilots and a loss by Taylor (vs. Huntington) to grab the sixth seed. The Lady Lancers knocked off the Pilots 87-57 in Mishawaka. Grace shot 50 percent from the field and forced Bethel into 22 turnovers in the convincing win. The Lady Lancers ripped off 50 first-half points and were led by a career-high 20 points from Darian Patton. Chelsea Ward’s 12 points led Bethel. MEN’S GAME The Lancers and Pilots will play for the 125th time on Saturday. Bethel holds a slight 63-61 advantage in the all-time series although Grace holds the latest victory, 62-57 on Jan. 3 in Mishawaka. Logan Irwin scored a team-best 14 points for Grace in that win, and Matt Schauss scored 19 for the Pilots. Grace, ranked 20th, and No. 12 Bethel have both secured a first-round home game in the Crossroads League Tournament. What hasn’t been decided, however, is the seeding. Bethel can rise as high as the No. 2 seed if St. Francis loses (vs. Goshen) or sink to the No. 4 spot. For Grace, the scenario is much simpler. With a win over the Pilots, Grace would leapfrog Bethel as the No. 3 seed. A loss would slot Grace as the No. 4 seed with a first-round matchup against either Mt. Vernon Nazarene or Goshen.
