Grace gives No. 5 MVNU a scare
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace’s men’s basketball team nearly upset No. 5 Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Saturday in an 86-78 defeat.
The Lancers (11-7, 1-5 Crossroads League) let a second half lead slip away, sputtering late to miss their chance to upset the Cougars (16-2, 4-2 CL).
MVNU led for almost the entire first half. The Cougars needed only nine minutes to claim an eight-point lead. Not long after, MVNU led 26-16.
Jaret Sons gave Grace a boost late in the half, scoring eight points with a pair of 3-pointers and a tough pull-up jump. He helped Grace bridge the gap, and the Lancers trailed 37-33 at halftime.
The Cougars shot a sizzling 53 percent in the first half. Both teams committed only four turnovers, but Grace also connected on 6-of-10 from beyond the arc.
Grace grabbed momentum to start the second half with seven unanswered points. Haden Deaton buried a 3-pointer, and Logan Godfrey scored four more to put Grace ahead 40-37.
But minutes later, MVNU went on a 13-1 run over the span of three minutes to pull on top 55-45.
Grace slowly chipped away at the Cougars’ lead, powered by Charlie Warner.
Warner’s myriad of jumpshots kept pressure on MVNU. He made four shots over a three-minute span, the last of which gave Grace a 67-66 lead with six minutes remaining.
With 4:36 on the clock, Haden Deaton sank two free throws for a 71-69 lead. That proved to be Grace’s final lead of the game.
MVNU responded with a 3-pointer on the next possession, and Grace hit an untimely cold stretch on offense. The Lancers went almost four minutes between made field goals, allowing the Cougars to take a five-point lead with 1:30 left to play.
Warner muscled his way to a three-point play in the paint to cut MVNU’s lead to 78-76, but the Cougars answered with a 3-pointer with less than a minute remaining. Grace was forced to foul down the stretch, allowing the Cougars to secure the win at the free throw line.
Grace made 46 percent from the floor compared to 55 percent for MVNU.
Warner scored 19 points with three assists, and Deaton had 18 points. Godfrey produced 13 points and seven rebounds, and Sons had 10 points and six boards.
Braxton Linville had 8 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds, and Cody Holmes added seven points and four boards.
The Lancers continue league play on Wednesday with another home game. Grace hosts No. 19 St. Francis at 8 p.m., following the women’s game.