Grace women pull away late from Midway

WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace’s women’s basketball team put the finishing touches on 2022 with a 95-78 win over Midway on New Year’s Eve.
The victory was fueled by Maddie Ryman and Karlee Feldman who combined for 56 points in the win.
This marked the Lady Lancers (12-3,5-0 Crossroads League) final non-conference contest of the season.
The first half was a flurry of action. Both teams employed a fast-paced attack, resulting in rapid flow of play.
The teams combined to score 84 points and both sides shot over 50 percent from the floor.
Grace’s offense got started early by scoring on its first three possessions. But Midway’s (9-6) offense was up to the task, making six of its first eight shots.
The Eagles shot 63 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the 3-point line.
Maddie Ryman and Karlee Feldman powered Grace’s offense in the quarter, combining to score 20 of Grace’s 22 points. Midway took a slight 23-22 lead at the end of the quarter, scoring a last-second shot to grab the lead.
The teams traded turns with the lead in the second quarter. Grace found success attacking in transition and in the paint, pushing ahead late in the quarter to lead 43-41 at halftime.
Ryman and Feldman tied for scoring honors with 12 points apiece in the half. Grace shot 56 percent from the floor compared to Midway’s 51 percent.
Grace had 28 points in the paint and scored 19 fastbreak points.
Grace’s lead was extended to five points early in the third quarter after Peyton Murphy hit a pair of free throws. The Eagles answered with a 6-0 run, as the two squads continued to stay neck-and-neck.
At the midpoint of the quarter the Lady Lancers held a 57-51 lead, but Midway once again battled back behind their 60 percent 3-point shooting in the quarter.
Grace and Midway traded trifectas to end the third stanza as the game entered the final 10 minutes tied at 65.
Ryman hit a 3-point shot just seconds into the fourth quarter which gave the Lady Lancers a lead they would not relinquish.
Sparked by 16 fourth quarter points from Ryman, Grace boasted an 11-point advantage by the midpoint of the frame.
While shooting 60 percent from the floor in the final stanza, the Lady Lancers held the Eagles to just 35 percent and did not surrender a 3-point basket as Grace put the finishing touches on the 95-78 win.
“What a great win over a very good ball club,” said Grace head coach Dan Davis. “We had some great individual performances, but I am so proud of how we came out in the fourth quarter and dominated as a team. This was a good way to finish the first half of the season, and we are looking forward to starting conference play next week.”
Feldman had another monster double-double with 25 points and 18 rebounds. Ryman added six assists to go along with her 31-point performance.
Kiersten Findley and Jenna Blakley both hit double digit points with 16 and 10 points respectively. Murphy had four steals.
Grace finished the game shooting 50 percent from the floor and 76 percent from the charity stripe.
The Lady Lancers won the battle on boards 41-34 and scored 46 points in the paint compared to the Eagles 36. Grace scored 39 points in transition.
The Lady Lancers resume Crossroads League play next week when they travel to Marian. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tipoff and will feature the only two Crossroads teams who have yet to lose a conference game.