WINONA LAKE – Grace College coach Jim Kessler has always believed his team plays in the toughest conference in the country when it comes to NAIA Division II men's basketball. Tonight's matchup at the Orthopaedic Capital Center is just further proof of that, as No. 4 Grace hosts top-ranked Indiana Wesleyan at p.m. Both the Lancers and Wildcats enter the game with 7-0 records, and both are 1-0 in the Mid-Central College Conference. The MCC has half of its member schools ranked in the top 25 national poll, as St. Francis is 15th in this week's poll, while Goshen is 19th. Grace has lost five straight games to the Wildcats, and is looking for its first win over IWU since an 85-80 victory in overtime on Jan. 17, 2009. In winning their first seven games of the season this year, the Lancers have outscored their opponents by an average of 86-67. The Wildcats have won their seven games by an average of 86-73. Grace's marquee victory so far is an 82-73 win over the Embry Riddle Eagles, who were ranked eighth when the Lancers beat them in the championship game of the KCCCF Hoops For Tournament on Nov. 12. Indiana Wesleyan has marquee wins over Bellevue (Kan.) and Cornerstone (Mich.), who were ranked fourth and sixth, respectively, at the time. The Lancers have five players who average double figures in scoring, led by Duke Johnson and Bruce Grimm Jr., who average 16 points per game. Jacob Peattie and Elliot Smith average 15 and 13 points per game, respectively, while Greg Miller adds 10 points per contest. Dennis Williams, Miller and Johnson all average right at seven rebounds per game for the Lancers, while Grimm leads the MCC with five assists per game. For Indiana Wesleyan, Patrick Hopkins averages a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds per game. George Jones IV and Jordan Weidner score 16 and 14 points, respectively, while Aaron Martin adds 13 points per game. Grace and IWU will meet again Jan. 24 at 7 p.m. at Lucky Arena in Marion.
