No. 24 Foresters outduel Lady Lancers
HUNTINGTON, Ind. – A pair of sluggish quarters bookended a 77-53 loss for Grace’s women’s basketball team at No. 24 Huntington on Saturday.
Grace was outscored by a combined 23 points in the first and fourth quarters, allowing the Foresters to snap a three-game winning streak for the Lady Lancers (8-6, 3-2 Crossroads League).
Grace found points hard to come by in the opening quarter. The Lady Lancers missed 11 of their 14 field goals in the period. Grace turned the ball over on its first two possessions and managed just six points, slipping behind 17-6 after the first 10 minutes.
Vironnica Drake did her best to spark a rally in the second quarter. She scored four quick points and then found Lauren Godfrey for a 3-pointer, cutting Huntington’s lead to 29-24 late in the half.
But the Foresters (9-4, 2-3 CL) scored late to lead 33-24 at halftime. Grace shot just 31 percent from the floor before halftime compared to 54 percent by Huntington. The Lady Lancers made only 2-of-15 from beyond the arc (13 percent) and tallied two assists as a team.
Huntington ballooned its lead up to 19 points in the third quarter, but Grace had one final comeback attempt.
The Lady Lancers scored nine unanswered thanks to four points from Drake and a 3-pointer by Kamryn Hostetler. After Drake’s last basket, Grace trailed 53-45 with 9:17 remaining in the contest.
But Grace’s momentum ran out over the final half of the fourth quarter. The Lady Lancers were unable to score another point for the last 5:24 of the game.
On the last 10 possessions of the game, Grace missed seven shots and had three turnovers. As a result, Huntington eased away for the final 24-point margin of victory.
All five Forester starers scored in double figures compared to just two for Grace. Drake scored 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting, adding four rebounds and two steals. Sugg added 13 points and a game-high four steals.
Hostetler scored nine points, but no other player for Grace had more than five points.
The Lady Lancers had a season-low six assists on 22 made field goals. Grace also shot a season-low nine free throws and also made just five 3-pointers, tied for the least this year.
Grace will not return to league play until January. The Lady Lancers will enjoy a cross-country trip west starting next week, playing in Arizona for a pair of games. Grace will play Embry-Riddle on Dec. 18 and Arizona Christian on Dec. 19.
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