Lancers Fall In Final Four

POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. - When the Grace College Lancers shoot the ball well, said veteran coach Jim Kessler, they can play with any team in the country.
When they struggle shooting, well, things can certainly go the other direction.
That was never more evident than at this year's NAIA Divison II National Tournament, which is once again being held at Keeter Gymansium on the the campus of College of the Ozarks near Branson, Mo.
After finishing second in the Crossroads League regular-season standings and losing in the first round of the conference tournament, the Lancers received an at-large bid to the 32-team, single-elimination tournament.
Grace made the most of its opportunity in the first three rounds, winning games against Tennessee Wesleyan, California Maritime and Dakota St. by an average of 19 points.
The Lancers' postseason march came to a halt Monday night in the Final Four, however, as No. 1 ranked William Penn University closed the game on a 30-11 run and punched its ticket to tonight's championship game with a 79-58 win.
The Statesmen, who needed a buzzer beater to top Midland University in Saturday's quarterfinals, will play No. 2 Cardinal Stritch (34-3) in the title tilt, which will air live on CBS College Sports Network at 8 p.m. CT.
Cardinal Stritch beat Indiana University Southeast 69-56 in Monday's second semifinal.
"I thought we stuck with the gameplan and played very well in the first half," said Kessler, whose team finished the season with a 24-10 record. "William Penn scores 90 points a game. We were right there with them for a long time, and then we struggled to make shots. When we shoot well, we can play with anybody. When we don't...."
The Lancers, who held a 31-21 lead in the first half, shot 41 percent from the field in the first half and went into the locker room knotted in 36-36 tie with the high-scoring Statesmen.
The second half, however, was a different story.
William Penn, which improved to 34-1 with its 19th-straight win, quickly scored the first five points and later turned a 49-47 advantage into a 21-point victory that really isn't indicative of how close the game was for 30 of the 40 minutes.
"That was the best defensive effort we've had all year," said William Penn coach John Henry, whose team held the Lancers to just 22 points and an 8-of-35 effort from the field in the second half. "To do that against a team like Grace is phenominal. We had a lot of respect for them. We saw them on film, and we knew that (Bruce) Grimm, (Greg) Miller and (Elliot) Smith were very good players."
Miller led Grace with 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Grimm added 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
Smith and Karl Columbus scored 13 points each for the Lancers, who were 21 of 67 overall, 7 of 23 from three-point range, and 9 of 15 from the free throw line in the loss.
"I don't have any regrets," said Grimm, who led Rochester High School to the Class 3A state finals in 2009, and then played his freshman season at NCAA Division I East Tennessee State University before transferring to Grace. "We did everything we could. We played well in the first half. We were tied at halftime with the No. 1 team in the country. And in the second half we just couldn't hit some shots. Give them credit, they're a very good team. I wouldn't be surprised if they win the championship."
Keith Steffeck led William Penn with 18 points and 10 rebounds. He brought the Statesmen's cheering section to its feet with a pair of alley-oop dunks as William Penn pulled away in the second half.
James Devlin scored 17 points in the win, while Brandon Beasley - a native of Indianapolis - added 15 points and 12 boards.
"We didn't play well the other day against Midland," said Henry, whose team beat McPherson College and Bethel College in the first two rounds. "When we don't play well, we usually come back the next game and play well. We had a big second half tonight. After getting to the Final Four the way we did, I was crying and very emotional. To get to the championship game, I'm numb."
While William Penn's five seniors will finish their collegiate careers playing for a national championship, Kessler and his assistants have to say farewell to four seniors - Grimm, Smith, Tannan Peters and Lee Ross.
"This run that we made is a tribute to hard work by the coaching staff and the players, and to the kind of players Coach K recruits," said Smith, a former standout at Northridge High School. "I'm gonna miss Coach K and playing with these guys. I'm gonna miss playing basketball. I've played everyday for as long as I can remember."
While the program will certainly miss Grimm, Smith, Peters and Ross, the Lancers' future is very bright.
After posting double-doubles the majority of this season, Miller will return for his senior campaign.
Columbus, a sophomore who had a bit of a coming out party in Branson, scoring 18, 18 and 13 points in Grace's last three games, will also be a key part to Grace's team next year.
"This was a special team," said Miller. "We really came together. I'm gonna miss playing with the seniors, especially Bruce and Elliot. We'll take some time off, and then we'll start getting ready for next year. We've got a lot coming back, and we tasted some success down here. We want to continue that next year."
Former Whitko High School standout Logan Irwin, who finished his prep career 12th among all scorers in Indiana history, will suit up for the Lancers next year.
Irwin transferred to Grace after starting his freshman season at NCAA Division I Stetson University.
"We had quite a run," said Kessler. "We're going to miss these seniors and their leadership. They're more than just basketball players, they're fine young men. We've got a good group coming back next year. Greg and Karl are a good pair to start with. Logan will be a nice fit. He's a different kind of point guard than Bruce. We'll be fun to watch again next year."

WILLIAM PENN 79, GRACE COLLEGE 58
GC 36 22 - 58
WP 36 43 - 79
Grace - Elliot Smith 4-10 2-2 13, Greg Miller 5-13 2-4 15, Tannan Peters 0-5 0-0 0, Karl Columbus 6-10 0-0 13, Bruce Grimm Jr. 6-19 2-3 14, Lee Ross 0-2 0-0 0, Morgan Michalski 0-0 0-0 0, Niko Read 0-0 0-0 0, Caleb Featherston 0-2 0-0 0, Jacob Goodman 0-0 0-0 0, Brandon Vanderhegghen 0-2 0-0 0, Jared Treadway 0-0 0-0 0, Dennis Williams 0-2 3-6 3, Kyle Fillman 0-2 0-0 0.
W.P - Blake Walker 1-6 3-4 5, James Devlin 4-10 6-6 17, Brandon Beasley 5-14 4-6 15, Taylor Stoutner 2-8 2-2 8, Keith Steffeck 7-14 3-6 18, Davis Spielbauer 0-2 0-0 0, Arman Rasul 2-4 1-1 5, Lamonte Jenkins 0-2 0-0 0, Kevin Fay 4-10 1-2 11, Ross Howe 0-0 0-0 0, Erik McGee 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-70 20-27 79.
Three-pointers - Grace 7 (Smith 3, Miller 3, Columbus), W.P. 9 (Devlin 3, Stoutner 2, Fay 2, Beasley, Steffeck); Rebounds - Grace 42 (Miller 13), W.P. 47 (Beasley 12); Turnovers - Grace 14, W.P. 12; Fouls - Grace 24, W.P. 17; Fouled out - none; Records: Grace 24-10, William Penn 34-1