UPLAND – When a basketball team shoots 63 percent from the field overall, 60 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the free throw line, more times than not it leaves the court with a win. That's exactly what the Taylor University Trojans did Saturday afternoon at Odle Arena in Upland, as they beat the seventh-ranked Grace College Lancers 82-73 in the final regular season game for both teams. In snapping an eight-game losing streak to Grace, Taylor led 42-34 at halftime and kept the Lancers from winning their first outright Mid-Central College Conference championship since 1993. "They shot really well," Grace coach Jim Kessler said of the Trojans, who made 16 of 23 shots in the first half. "They hit their shots, hats off to them. When you hit 63 percent of your shots, 60 percent of your three-point attempts and 80 percent of your free throws, you're probably gonna win." Taylor, which improved to 20-10 overall and 9-9 in MCC play, finished the game 26 fo 41 from the field overall, 9 of 15 from the arc and 21 of 27 at the charity stripe. Nate Kasper led Taylor with a game-high 23 points as he was 8 of 9 from the field and 7 of 9 at the free throw line. Casey Coons added 20 points in the win, while Josh Riikonen chipped in with 14 points and Kyle Hanaway added 10. Prior to Saturday, Riikonen and Hanaway were averaging a combined 12 points per game. "We made them look like All-Americans," said Kessler, whose team fell to 21-7 overall and 12-6 in the MCC. Grace, which got 22 points from Bruce Grimm Jr., 18 from Greg Miller and 17 from Duke Johnson, wasn't nearly as efficent on offense as the Trojans were. The Lancers were 24 of 54 (44 percent) from the field overall and 11 of 24 (43 percent) from the arc. And rather than celebrating an outright MCC championship, the Lancers share the regular season title with Indiana Wesleyan, which held on to beat host Goshen College 75-74 Saturday. Both Grace and IWU are 12-6 in MCC action, but because IWU swept Grace in the home-and-away series this season it will be the No. 1 seed in this week's conference tournament. IWU will host eighth-seeded Goshen, while the second-seeded Lancers will host No. 7 seed Taylor. All first-round games in the single-elimination tournament will tip off Wednesday at 7 p.m. "That's fine with me, I don't mind playing them again," Kessler said upon hearing the brackets for the conference tournament. "But we've got to come to play. You've got to want it. You've got to play from the tip to the final horn." In other first-round tournament games, third-seeded Marian University will host No. 6 seed Spring Arbor University, and No. 4 seed Saint Friancis will host fifth-seeded Huntington University. The MCC receives two automatic bids to the NAIA Division II national tournament in Branson, Mo. IWU earned the first Saturday because of its tiebreaker over the Lancers. The second automatic bid will go to the winner of the MCC Tournament. If IWU wins the conference tournament, the tournament runner-up will receive the bid.
TAYLOR 82, GRACE 73 Grace 34 39 – 73 Taylor 42 40 – 82 Grace – Greg Miller 7-13 1-3 18, Duke Johnson 5-8 7-8 17, Jacob Peattie 3-5 0-0 7, Elliot Smith 3-5 0-0 9, Bruce Grimm Jr. 6-16 6-6 22, Niko Read 0-1 0-0 0, Dayton Merrell 0-2 0-0 0, Tannan Peters 0-3 0-0 0, Karl Columbus 0-1 0-0 0, Dennis Williams 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-54 14-17 73. Taylor – Josh Riikonen 5-9 2-2 14, Jake Burkholder 0-0 0-0 0, Kyle Hanaway 3-4 3-4 10, Casey Coons 6-10 4-4 20, Tommy Peller 2-6 2-4 7, Ben Raichel 1-2 3-4 6, Nate Kasper 8-9 7-9 23, Ian Dutcher 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 26-41 21-27 82. Three-pointers – Grace 11 (Grimm 4, Miller 3, Smith 3), Taylor 9 (Coons 4, Riikonen 2, Peller, Raichel); Rebounds – Grace 23 (Miller 4, Johnson 4, Grimm 4), Taylor 22 (Kasper 6); Turnovers – Grace 7, Taylor 8; Fouls – Grace 19, Taylor 16; Fouled out – Merrell; Records: Grace 21-7 (12-6 MCC), Taylor 20-10 (9-9 MCC)
