WINONA LAKE – Though the all-time series was dead even, the second half of Saturday’s men’s basketball game between Crossroads League rivals Grace College and Bethel College was anything but. In the 121st meeting of the storied programs, the fifth-ranked Bethel College Pilots put on a shooting display in the second half, turning a 50-45 lead at intermission into a 110-69 rout of the Grace College Lancers. Though the game was played in Winona Lake at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center, it certainly looked – in the second half at least – as if the Pilots were right at home. Bethel, which now holds a 61-60 advantage in the all-time series, made 10 of 15 three-point attempts in the final 20 minutes and 14 of 22 overall. The Pilots, who improved to 14-2 overall and 3-1 in the league standings, used a 40-6 run in the first 10 mintes of the second half to completely take control of the game. “Hats off to them for shooting like that,” said Grace College coach Jim Kessler, whose team fell to 8-7 overall and 0-4 in the Crossroads League. “You’re not going to beat Bethel in a shooting contest. To beat them, it has to be ugly and you have to grind it out. You have to play them a certain way and we didn’t do that. They played well today and we didn’t. There’s no excuses.” Senior Ryan Benner made 11 of 12 shots from the field and 11 of 17 free throw attempts en route to a game-high 37 points. Junior Zach Miller scored 19 points in the win, while freshman Caleb Oetjen and senior Landon Booker also scored in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Bethel, which won for the 698th time under the direction of head coach Mike Lightfoot, finished the game 35 of 54 (65 percent) from the field overall, 14 of 22 from the arc, and 26 of 36 at the charity stripe. In the second half alone, the Pilots were 17 of 24 from the field overall, 10 of 15 from the arc, and 16 of 22 at the line. “The tempo was huge,” said Kessler, who has 689 career wins. “That’s exactly how Bethel wanted it.” The Lancers, who were fresh off an impressive win over No. 23 Ashford University on Dec. 31, finished the game 24 of 61 (39 percent) from the field overall, 8 of 29 from the arc, and 13 of 24 at the free throw line. “We play them again,” Kessler said in reference to Grace’s trip to Bethel for the regular-season finale on Feb. 22. “We can’t hang our heads. We have to get right back at it.” Sophomore Logan Irwin led Grace with 14 points, while classmate Caleb Featherston chipped in with 11. Senior Greg Miller and junior Niko Read scored nine points each, while freshman Tre Olive added seven. Last season, the Lancers finished 13-5 in the league standings and advanced all the way to the Final Four of the NAIA Division II National Tournament in Branson, Mo. Though there are 14 conference games remaining, as well as an automatic bid for winning the conference tournament, Grace can’t afford to keep losing ground if it wants to go to the national tournament again. Huntington, ranked 13th in the country, and No. 16 St. Francis are 4-0 in the Crossroads League, while Bethel and Marian are 3-1, No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan and Spring Arbor are 2-2, Taylor and Goshen are 1-3 and Grace and Mt. Vernon Nazarene are 0-4. The Lancers are scheduled to host Spring Arbor Tuesday at 7 p.m. and then play at St. Francis Saturday at 3 p.m.
