Grace’s offense fuels victory of Bethel
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace’s women’s basketball picked up a 95-81 win over Bethel on Saturday afternoon.
Maddie Ryman and Kiersten Poor both topped 20 points as the Lady Lancers outpaced the Pilots to pick up their sixth win in seven games.
With the victory the Lady Lancers (16-8, 6-6 Crossroads League) moved into a tie for fourth place in the conference.
Grace and Bethel (9-14, 4-7 CL) exchanged buckets early, but a layup from Kenzie McMahon gave the Lady Lancers a 10-6 lead.
Ryman hit a 3-point shot, and Karlee Feldman added a layup to finish a 9-0 run for Grace.
Grace continually broke Bethel’s press defense and scored on a multitude of fastbreak opportunities.
McMahon added a pair of buckets late as Grace took a 27-17 lead into the second quarter.
In the second quarter, Bethel cut the lead down to five halfway through the quarter.
Kaylee Patton converted a pair of free throws, and Poor followed up with a shot from beyond the arc. Ryman also hit a 3-point shot as Grace extended its lead back to double-digits.
Feldman scored eight straight points for Grace, and Ryman hit another triple as Grace extended their lead to 51-33.
Bethel ended the half on a 9-4 run as the game went to intermission with the Lady Lancers on top 55-42.
Ryman and Feldman each scored 13 points in the first half. McMahon narrowly missed a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds.
The Lady Lancers shot 41 percent from the floor and outscored Bethel 34-22 in the paint.
Ryman and Feldman each scored early into the second half as Grace maintained a 14-point lead.
Kensie Ryman checked in and scored nine quick points to push Grace’s lead to 20 points.
The Lady Lancers entered the final stanza ahead by a 78-61 score.
Bethel made a furious push in the fourth and got within 11 nearing the midpoint of the fourth. Grace answered back with a 11-0 run capped off by a 3-point shot from Poor.
The Lady Lancers finished the game off with a convincing 95-81 win.
“Today was for Dr. Katip,” said Grace head coach Dan Davis. “We wanted to honor him with the way we played on the court, and I think our girls did that.”
Saturday was also Katip Day to honor Grace’s longtime president Dr. Bill Katip and his wife Debbie. The couple were honored with a ceremony during halftime of the men’s basketball game.
Grace had a quartet of standout performances. Ryman had 23 points, 7 steals and 5 rebounds. McMahon double-doubled with 10 points, 11 rebounds and also added five assists.
Poor scored a season-high 25 points and also grabbed eight boards. Feldman scored 18 points to go along with 10 rebounds.
Grace forced Bethel into 31 turnovers and scored 42 fastbreak points.
The Lady Lancers will be on the road on Tuesday as they travel to St. Francis at 6 p.m.