Lancers remain perfect with win over #RV Cornerstone
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The perfect start for Grace’s men’s basketball team continued with a gritty road win at Cornerstone.
The No. 2-ranked Lancers (11-0) rallied from a 10-point deficit at halftime, using a strong defensive effort to win 69-64 on Tuesday.
Grace was lackluster on offense, shooting just 40 percent as a team from the floor. But the Lancers’ defense, particularly in the second half, propelled Grace to the five-point win.
Frankie Davidson led all scorers with 21 points to go along with nine rebounds, Brycen Graber amassed 14 points and four assists, and Jakob Gibbs had 12 points, 4 boards and 2 assists.
Grace began the game well, using a 3-pointer from Davidson and an and-1 from Elijah Malone to score the first six points.
The Lancers led for the first 10 minutes of the contest and were ahead 18-11 after a jumper from Carter Stoltzfus.
But the Lancers’ offense went cold over the final 10 minutes of the half. Grace scored just nine more points and shot 4 of 12 from the floor during that stretch.
Grace also committed six turnovers during the final 10 minutes before halftime, and they scored two points over the final 4:48. Cornerstone (8-3) took advantage, racing ahead to a double-digit lead at halftime, 37-27.
The Lancers only shot 35 percent from the floor as a team compared to Cornerstone’s 48 percent. Grace also turned the ball over 13 times in the first half, a mark Grace had not reached in any of the five previous complete games.
Grace roared to life to begin the second half. Jakob Gibbs scored seven points in the first five minutes of the half, helping chop Cornerstone’s lead down to one.
The Golden Eagles, who are receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25, managed to cling to the lead for the next several minutes although Grace remained close behind.
A pair of free throws from Elijah Malone finally knotted the score at 56-56 with 6:23 left in the game.
After several defensive stands, Malone earned his way to the free throw line again. The center made both to put Grace ahead by two with 4:47 to play.
After a block from Malone, Davidson connected on two more foul shots to push Grace’s lead to four.
With 1:32 remaining, Brycen Graber canned a timely 3-pointer to boost the Lancers’ advantage to five.
On the next play, Malone swatted a post move by Cornerstone, leading to a fastbreak layup from Stoltzfus.
The Golden Eagles were unable to create a furious rally over the final minute and had to settle for Grace’s victory.
Grace’s defense was elite in the second half. Cornerstone scored just 27 points after halftime, shooting 28 percent thanks in part to four blocked shots by Grace.
For the final eight minutes of regulation, Cornerstone made just one field goal against Grace’s stingy defense.
Malone finished with 7 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots, Jake Wadding had five points and two assists, Ian Scott added 2 points, 5 boards and 1 block, and Cade Gibbs had 4 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block.
The Lancers just began a four-game road trip. On Saturday, Grace will head to Taylor for another Crossroads League matchup.
After Saturday, Grace will make a trip west to Arizona. The Lancers will take on No. 3 Arizona Christian in a marquee, top-3 matchup on Dec. 13. The trip will end with a Dec. 14 game at Park Gilbert.
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