Lancers To Open Tournament Play Against Bellevue Bruins
Posted
Dale Hubler-dhubler@timesuniononline.com
WINONA LAKE – Recognized by many as the toughest conference in small-college basketball, the Crossroads League will be well-represented at next week’s NAIA Division II men’s national tournament. The 32-team, single-elimination tournament will once again be held at Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo. Among the four Crossroads League teams headed to the Show Me State are the Grace College Lancers, who are making their eighth overall appearance in the tournament and sixth in the last eight seasons. “It's a gift,” veteran Grace College coach Jim Kessler said of his team receiving an at-large bid. “The best way to accept a gift is with appreciation. Not a lot of people expected us to be in the top 32 teams in the country. But this group has scratched and clawed their way through the season. We're going to enjoy this.” The 24th-ranked Lancers, who advanced to the Final Four in 2013 but didn't qualify for the tournament last year, take a 21-10 record into the tournament. Grace finished fourth in the Crossroads League regular-season standings with an 11-7 record. Other Crossroads League teams in the tournament are defending national champion and current No. 1 Indiana Wesleyan University, 2010 national champion and current No. 9 St. Francis, and three-time national champion and current No. 10 Bethel College. “We play in a tough conference ... Massey Ratings says it's the toughest in the country,” said Kessler. “For us to win 11 games in our conference, that's pretty good. Teams in our conference usually win games in the national tournament because our conference schedule prepares them for it. It's battle every night.” Grace will open tournament play in Missouri against Bellevue University (Neb.) on March 12 at 10:15 a.m. CST. Bellevue has advanced to the Sweet 16 of the tournament the past eight seasons and is 28-5 this year. Taylor Young and Percy Lemle lead Bellevue in scoring with 16 points per game, while Alex Worthen-Harris scores 11 points per game. Logan Irwin leads Grace with nearly 14 points per game, and also averages nearly five assists and four rebounds. Niko Read averages 12 points per game for Grace, while Brandon Vanderhegghen and Dennis Williams score 10 points per game. St. Francis plays right before Grace, with tipoff set for 8:30 a.m. CST on March 12 against St. Francis of Illinois. Bethel, led in scoring by former Triton High School standout Clay Yeo's 21 points per game, plays its first game at 5:45 p.m. CST on March 12 against Ashford University (Iowa). Indiana Wesleyan, whose roster includes former Whitko standout Zac Vandewater (9 ppg, 6 rpg), opens defense of its national title by playing Brescia University (Kent.) on March 11 at 5:45 p.m CST.
