Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE - When Grace College junior Teryck Taylor missed what would seem to be a simple lay-in with just under 2:30 remaining in Tuesday's game with Mid-Central Conference rival Taylor University, it was not only crucial at the time but also a metaphor of Grace's basketball season.
With the Lancers down 61-60, Taylor's shot rimmed in and out. Much like the last five or six games have gone for Grace, that close yet that far away.
The Lancers entered last night's contest on a four-game skid. All were conference games, all were lost by an average of six points or less.
With a 67-64 loss to Taylor, the Lancers fell to 9-14 overall and 0-5 in league play. The win improved Taylor's record to 15-8 and 2-3. Taylor entered the game on a three-game losing streak.
"Teryck missed a little roll-in," said Grace coach Jim Kessler. "All of them feel bad, but I told them, 'None of you are good enough to feel like you lost the game.' We lost as a team. We do things collectively."
In his office after the game Kessler mentioned numerous times that good teams are able to close. Simply put: His team had the opportunity to win but couldn't capitalize. Taylor was able to capitalize.
In their last five games, the Lancers have turned the ball over 86 times to their opponents' 62. Last night Grace tuned the ball over 14 times, while the Trojans committed eight.
"In a five-game stretch we're giving our opponents an average of four possessions a game," said Kessler. "Four turnovers is an eight-point swing. When we're playing teams that are evenly balanced we have to have equal chances."
Taylor scored 13 points off Grace turnovers. The Lancers, on the other hand, scored six points off Trojan turnovers.
Grace jumped out to an early 11-3 lead, but a three-pointer by 5-foot-11 senior Nick David with 11:16 remaining in the first half put Taylor up 14-12.
David led all scorers with 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field. He was also 4 of 7 from beyond the arc and 6 of 6 at the free throw line. Tyson Jones and Jodie Lynch added 15 and 11 points, respectively, in the win.
Grace was led in the scoring column by Matt Moore and Ben Tonagel, who scored 13 points each. Lawrence Burnett and Dan Scharlach chipped in with 11 points each.
The Trojans stretched their lead to nine, 29-20, with just over two minutes to play in the first half, but the Lancers rattled off an 8-2 run, capped off by a Moore trey at the buzzer, to cut Taylor's advantage to 31-28 at the half.
The Trojans pulled out to a 38-30 lead, but again the Lancers were able to get close. Grace was either tied or within two points 12 times in the second half.
A field goal by Burnett brought Grace within one, 63-62, with 1:45 remaining. But as they did all night, the Trojans converted in key situations.
Lynch and David each hit a pair of free throws in the last 40 seconds of the game to clinch the win.
"When it comes down to deciding the the game," said Kessler, "teams with confidence are able to make big plays."
Grace (9-14, 0-5) will be in action again Saturday at Goshen with a 3 p.m. tipoff.
TAYLOR UNIVERSITY 67 GRACE COLLEGE 64
Taylor (15-8) 31 36 - 67
Grace (9-14) 28 36 - 64
Taylor FG FT R A S Pts.
* Jones 5-12 3-3 2 3 4 15
Essenburg 1-1 0-0 0 1 0 2
Newhouse 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0
* David 7-14 6-6 2 4 1 24
Bickel 0-1 0-0 1 0 0 0
* Ross 3-11 3-7 3 4 1 9
* Lynch 3-4 5-6 4 1 1 11
Musters 2-3 0-0 4 0 0 4
* Schreur 1-2 0-0 5 0 1 2
Total 22-49 17-22 25 13 8 67
Grace FG FT R A S Pts.
O'Dell 0-0 0-0 0 0 0 0
* Moore 5-11 2-2 1 4 2 13
* Bricker 4-8 0-0 3 1 0 8
Brown 1-1 0-0 2 1 0 2
Burnett 5-7 1-3 9 2 0 11
* Tonagel 4-11 3-4 5 3 0 13
* Taylor 3-7 0-0 3 2 2 6
* Scharlach 3-6 5-7 8 3 0 11
Swanson 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0
Totals 25-52 11-16 34 16 4 64
Three-pointers - Taylor 6 (David 4, Jones 2), Grace 3 (Tonagel 2, Moore 1). Turnovers - Taylor 8, Grace 14. Fouls - Taylor 15, Grace 19. Fouled out - none.
