WINONA LAKE – Grace College's men's basketball team doesn't have to wait and wonder if it will play in this year's NAIA Division II National Tournament. At this point, the Lancers just need to know when and who they play. And they'll know that tonight when the brackets for the 32-team, single-elimination tournament are released. With a thrilling 79-75 win over the St. Francis Cougars Tuesday night in the championship game of the Mid-Central College Conference Tournament, Grace received an automatic bid to next week's national tournament in Branson, Mo. This will be the Lancers' fourth national tournament appearance in the past five years. The previous three times they needed at-large bids from the selection committee. "We know we're in," Grace College coach Jim Kessler said with an ear-to-ear smile on his face and the championship net around his neck. "I'm extremely proud of how we finished together. We could have faltered after we lost to Taylor (in the regular-season finale). But the seniors brought everyone together, and we worked hard. This is great feeling." The first MCC Tournament was held in 1994. Playing in front of a loud, near-capacity crowd at the Orthopaedic Capital Center, the Lancers won the conference tournament for the first time Tuesday. En route to the championship, Grace had to avenge losses to Taylor and Marian, and then beat St. Francis for the third time this season. Grace, the No. 2 seed, improved to 24-7, while the fourth-seeded Cougars fell to 21-12. "It's a great feeling knowing we're going (to Branson)," said junior point guard Bruce Grimm Jr., who scored a game-high 35 points. "Anytime you can win a championship like this, it's a great feeling." Grace led 36-31 at halftime, and the teams battled back and forth in the second half. The Cougars, who won the national championship two years ago and finished as the national runner-up last year, used a 12-2 run to take a 43-40 lead. With six minutes remaining in the game, a three-pointer by Grimm gave Grace a 63-61 advantage. With two buckets in the paint by sophomore frontliner Greg Miller, the Lancers led 67-61 with 4:33 remaining. Grace built the lead up to as much as 10 points with 60 seconds to play, and the Cougars – who were out of timeouts – were forced to foul and put the Lancers at the free throw line. St. Francis was able to cut the deficit to three, 78-75, when senior guard Qadr Owens hit a trey with 10 seconds left. Grace junior Elliot Smith made 1 of 2 free throw attempts with just under seven seconds remaining, and when the final horn sounded, a spirited celebration began. The Lancers were presented the trophy, there were photos taken, and as the song "We Are The Champions" rang through the OCC's speaker system, Grace cut down the nets. "This is a great feeling," said Grimm, who also dished out five assists and pulled down five rebounds. "It hasn't really sunk in yet, but this is great." Freshman Karl Columbus and Miller scored 13 points each, while senior Duke Johnson added six points and six rebounds, and senior Jacob Peattie and Smith scored four points each. Peattie's last two points came on a breakaway dunk that brought the large contingent of Grace fans to their feet. "We knew this team has the talent to be special," said Kessler. "But you still have to go out and do it. This team has depth, and we have guys who go out and play their role. I'm honored to be a part of it." Owens led St. Francis with 24 points, while Kevin Dawson and Spencer Comer scored 14 and 13 points, respectively, and Scott Kohne finished with 11 points.
GRACE 79, ST. FRANCIS 75 SF 31 44 – 75 Gr 36 43 – 79 St. Francis – Scott Kohne 5-9 1-2 11, Spencer Comer 5-8 0-1 13, Kevin Dawson 6-12 2-2 14, Qadr Owens 8-23 6-8 24, Seth Small 0-2 0-0 0, Ethan Hussey 0-1 0-0 0, LaRon Bryant 0-1 2-2 2, Daniel Palombizio 2-2 1-2 6, Kevin Bloom 1-5 2-2 5, Brad Sneary 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-63 14-19 75. Grace – Greg Miller 6-7 1-1 13, Duke Johnson 3-8 0-0 6, Jacob Peattie 2-2 0-0 4, Elliot Smith 1-3 1-3 4, Bruce Grimm Jr. 12-25 10-10 35, Dayton Merrell 0-0 0-0 0, Tannan Peters 1-2 0-0 2, Karl Columbus 5-8 3-4 13, Dennis Williams 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 31-56 15-18 79. Three-pointers – St. Francis 7 (Comer 3, Owens 2, Palmobizio, Bloom), Grace 2 (Smith, Grimm); Rebounds – St. Francis 31 (Kohne 8), Grace 34 (Johnson 6); Turnovers – St. Francis 9, Grace 15; Fouls – St. Francis 18, Grace 20; Fouled out – Bloom; Records: St. Francis 21-12, Grace 24-7
