Grace wins offensive showcase in Florida
BABSON PARK, Fla. – Grace’s men’s basketball team kicked off its trip to the Sunshine State with a 92-90 win at Webber International.
The Lancers (7-8) shot 50 percent from the floor and snapped a three-game losing streak on Monday.
Four players scored in double figures, led by Logan Godfrey’s 23 points and seven rebounds.
Grace’s offense was clicking from the get-go on Monday, scoring on the team’s first four possessions. The Lancers’ lead ballooned to 13-0 before the Warriors (4-6) got on the scoreboard.
The Lancers led by double digits for most of the half, pulling ahead 44-26 with 2:48 remaining on a Godfrey layup.
Webber beat the buzzer to end the half but still trailed 49-34 at halftime. Grace shot a sizzling 56 percent from the floor in the period. Godfrey and Haden Deaton combined to score 27 points before halftime.
The Warriors battled back in the second half. Webber used a 16-8 run to trim Grace’s gap to 65-59 with 11:31 remaining.
Grace’s lead dwindled to just two at 72-70 with 6:04 on the clock, but Braxton Linville gave Grace a boost. Linville hit two free throws followed by a 3-pointer on the next possession to bump the Lancers’ lead up to seven.
Webber did its best to rally in the final minutes, but Grace iced the game at the free throw line, most notably by Stephen Halstead. Halstead went 7-of-8 from the foul line in the last minute to help Grace hold on for the victory.
Godfrey shot 9-of-14 from the floor for his 23 points, and Erik Bowen was 8-of-14 for 19 points.
Deaton produced 13 points, 8 boards and 5 assists, Halstead scored 10 points, and Charlie Warner and Matt Jennings each scored eight. Linville added six points and six assists.
Grace was outrebounded by one at 32-31, but the Lancers’ ball control was strong with 20 assists on eight turnovers.
The Lancers’ Florida trip continues on Tuesday with a 4 p.m. matchup at Warner, who is receiving votes in the NAIA.