MARION – With four seniors in the starting lineup Saturday, the Grace College Lancers certainly played like a group of seasoned veterans. In a Crossroads League battle at Indiana Wesleyan University, the top-ranked team in the NAIA Division II national poll, the Lancers rode the play of seniors Brandon Vanderhegghen, Logan Irwin, Kyle Fillman and Caleb Featherston, as well as sophomore Erik Bowen, to a thrilling 91-80 upset of the Wildcats. Grace’s 11-point win snapped a 13-game losing streak in the series with IWU, and was the Lancers’ first victory at Luckey Arena in Marion since 2004. Vanderhegghen led Grace with 26 points, making 8 of 12 shots overall, 5 of 9 attempts from the arc, and 5 of 6 free throws. Irwin was 7 of 10 from the field overall, 1 of 2 from the arc, and 5 of 6 at the charity stripe en route to 20 points. Fillman made 7 of 8 shots and both of his free throw attempts on his way to 16 points, while Featherston was 3 of 5 from the field and made a free throw in scoring seven points. Bowen recored a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds. As a team, the Lancers were 30 of 50 from the field overall, 7 of 16 from the arc, and 24 of 32 at the charity stripe. “I couldn’t be more pleased with how we played free and attacked,” said Grace College coach Jim Kessler, whose team improved to 14-4 overall and 4-2 in the Crossroads League standings. “To get 91 points, for us, is big. We’re averaging 77. We played with confidence in the things we wanted to do. We wanted to have the courage and the confidence to take shots that we can make. I thought we did that.” Defensively, Grace held the high-scoring Wildcats 16 points below their average, as Wesleyan fell to 16-2 overall and 4-2 in league play. Thanks to a 14-0 run in the first half, the Lancers held a 45-38 advantage at halftime. In the second half, Grace grew its lead to as many as 18 points before the Wildcats cut the deficit to eight, 79-71, with just over two minutes remaining. The Lancers salted the game away at the free throw line, where they made 11 of 14 attempts down the stretch. “I think we came with the mindset that we were gonna compete,” said Kessler. “I never sensed that we were intimidated or fearful. Before we left campus, I asked the men ‘do you really believe you can beat this team?’ There was a little thought, and they said ‘yeah, we can.’ I think they really came here believing we could win.” The Wildcats finished the game 27 of 52 from the field overall, 13 of 26 from the arc, and 13 of 18 at the charity stripe. Junior Lane Mahurin led Wesleyan with a game-high 29 points, while junior Bob Peters scored 26, and senior Jonny Marlin and sophomore Grant Evans chipped in with 12 and eight points, respectively. The Lancers remain just one game out of the lead in the league standings. Eighth-ranked St. Francis is alone atop the league with a 5-1 record, while Grace, Wesleyan and third-ranked Marian are all 4-2. Four teams in the 10-team league, including No. 12 Bethel, are tied at 3-3 with 12 games remaining. The Lancers will be in action again Wednesday when they host Goshen College in a men’s/women’s doubleheader. The Lady Lancers are scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center.
