Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE - The Grace College men's basketball team showed poise in their home opener, defeating the Tri-State Thunder 83-73 Tuesday.
The Lancers, returning four starters from last season, came from behind in the second half to win their third game in a row to start the year.
Grace opened up a 12-5 lead six minutes into the game, led by four points from senior Bert McLaughlin and two assists from junior transfer James Joiner. Tri-State began to cut into the deficit and took the lead four minutes later 18-17.
Mike Christner and McLaughlin scored a combined 13 points over the next four minutes to give the Lancers their largest lead of the half, 29-20.
The Thunder came back again, though, and tied the score at 39-39 by halftime.
The Lancers first half problems consisted of valuing the basketball. They committed 11 turnovers and had just 3 offensive rebounds in the opening 20 minutes.
The second half went back and forth over the first five minutes when Grace led 50-48. Grace went on a 13-5 run sparked by six points off the bench by Brent Damer and Brian Gornik to lead 63-53.
Tri-State got no closer than four points the rest of the way as Warsaw native Ben Elliot threw in seven points down the stretch as the Lancers cruised to the win.
Grace shot 55 percent from the field for the game and made an amazing 24 of 26 free-throws, a 92 percent clip. McLaughlin led all scorers with 21 points, and Darren Gagnon added 16 points and seven rebounds, along with two dunks. Joiner, the new point guard, and the only starter who did not play last year, dished out six assists with only one turnover.
Grace (3-0) hosts the Optimist Tip-Off Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The Lancers will play Taylor-Fort Wayne on Friday at 6 p.m. The second game will start at 8 p.m.
GRACE 83,
TRI-STATE 73
Tri-State 39 34 - 73
Grace College 39 44 - 83
Tri-State
Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta A S R Pts
Osterhouse 1-3 2-2 3 1 2 4
Everingham 3-9 2-2 4 1 2 9
Schlegelmilch 4-9 1-2 2 1 1 13
Keneally 2-4 0-0 3 2 0 4
Pfeiffer 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0
Sheets 2-7 6-6 0 1 4 11
Gruner 1-3 0-0 0 1 0 2
Boll 7-14 1-2 1 2 6 15
Burt 5-6 2-2 3 1 1 12
Rohlin 1-1 1-4 3 1 1 3
Totals 26-57 15-20 16 15 23 73
Grace
Fgm-Fga Ftm-Fta A S R Pts
C. Gilmer 0-1 0-0 2 0 1 0
Schmidt 5-9 0-0 3 1 1 13
McLaughlin 6-11 6-7 3 3 2 21
Gagnon 7-13 2-2 2 0 7 16
M. Christner 4-4 2-2 0 2 4 10
Joiner 0-1 4-4 6 2 2 4
Elliott 1-1 5-5 1 1 2 7
Gould 0-0 0-0 0 0 1 0
S. Gilmer 1-1 0-0 2 0 1 3
Loyd 0-1 1-2 0 0 0 1
Gornik 1-4 2-2 2 0 5 4
Damer 1-1 2-2 0 0 1 4
Totals 26-47 24-26 21 12 32 83
Three-point goals - Tri-State 6 (Schlegelmilch 4, Everingham, Sheets), Grace 7 (Schmidt 3, McLaughlin 3, S. Gilmer). Turnovers - Tri-State 15, Grace 22. Fouled out - Damer. Total fouls - Tri-State 16, Grace 21.
