WINONA LAKE – Juaneice Jackson was a nightmare for Taylor University Tuesday evening, the Grace College junior guard exploded for 37 points in the Lady Lancers’ 74-62 win. Jackson’s career night featured five three-pointers and a 25-point first half that gave Grace its third consecutive win. The Crossroads League game started slowly as each team struggled with turnovers in the opening minutes. Grace was the first to assert itself, however, behind the scoring prowess of Jackson. Her lethal outside shooting, coupled with lightning-quick drives to the hoop, produced 21 points in the first 13 minutes of action. With 7:41 to play in the first half, Grace held a 33-18 lead with Jackson outscoring the Trojans (13-5; 2-4 CL) by herself. The Lady Lancers (13-5; 4-2 CL) opened up a 17-point lead in the initial stages of the second half before Taylor staged a comeback. Taylor slowly whittled away at Grace’s lead and used a 12-2 run to wipe out Grace’s cushion. The Trojans tied the score at 57-57 and again at 59-59 before running out of steam down the stretch. Grace’s defense went into lockdown mode for the final four minutes, allowing only a three-pointer by Warsaw native Kelci Freds. The Lady Lancers, on the other hand, made seven free throws and used back-to-back buckets from Emily Bidwell to pull away for the victory. Jackson’s production was just eight points away from tying the program’s record for most points in a game. She drilled 11 of 18 field goals, including 5 of 8 from beyond the arc, to go along with six boards and four rebounds. Allison Kauffman reached double figures with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Gabby Bryant added eight points. Jayla Starks produced a well-balanced stat line with seven points, seven rebounds, six assists and five steals. The Lady Lancers hope to continue their winning streak on Thursday when they travel to No. 15 Bethel for a 7 p.m. tipoff. Erin Guarneri led Taylor with 14 points, while Shayna Wood and Tess Rudolph scored 13 and 11 points, respectively. Freds finished with nine points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.
