WINONA LAKE – Grace College’s women’s basketball team knocked off rival Bethel College 73-66 Saturday at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center. Allison Kauffman, the reigning Crossroads League Player of the Week led the way with 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Lady Lancers (7-9; 3-1 CL), who maintained third place in the league standings. Grace started slowly, missing five of its first six shots. The Lady Lancers fell behind 16-7 in the opening minutes as Bethel’s zone defense gave them fits on offense. A timeout by coach Scott Blum, however, steered Grace in the right direction. The Lady Lancers rallied with a 20-5 run to claim a six-point lead. A late driving basket from freshman Dariyan Morris lifted Grace to a 36-27 halftime advantage. Kauffman was a consistent contributor for Grace in the opening half, producing nine points and seven boards. Darian Patton was a spark off the bench with eight first-half points. Grace was particularly dominant on the boards, doubling up the Pilots on the glass, 22-11, in the first 20 minutes of action. The Pilots (7-9; 2-2 CL) swung the game back in their favor early in the second half as Grace’s offense went flat. Bethel regained a 43-40 lead as Grace mustered just four points over the first 5:52 of the second half. But Kauffman, Patton and Juaneice Jackson led Grace’s charge over the next five minutes to put the Lady Lancers ahead for good. Kauffman scored four quick points, and back-to-back three-pointers from Patton and Jackson handed Grace a six-point advantage. Bethel closed the gap to 67-64 with under two minutes to play. Jackson responded, however, with a pullup jumper from the top of the key with 1:06 remaining to give Grace the cushion it needed. Jackson helped Grace preserve the victory, scoring six points over the final 2:29. The All-American senior guard scored 13 of her 16 points in the second half and also grabbed six boards and three steals without committing a turnover. Kauffman’s game-high 22 points inclueded a 9-of-10 performance from the free throw line. Although Grace had 19 turnovers as a team, the Lady Lancers held a commanding plus-12 advantage in rebounds. Grace’s bench also outscored Bethel 26-8. Patton finished with 11 points off the bench, and Morris and Heather House added six points apiece. The Lady Lancers now face four straight road games, starting with a trip to Spring Arbor Wednesday for a 7 p.m. contest. Grace’s next home game is against Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Jan. 22.
