No. 6 Lancers collect key win at HU
HUNTINGTON, Ind. – Grace’s men’s basketball team continued its winning ways, dispatching Huntington 93-82 on Saturday afternoon.
The No. 6 Lancers (17-2, 7-2 Crossroads League) had six players score in double figures in a complete offensive performance. Grace’s 17 wins are the second-most in the NAIA.
Grace shot 52 percent from the floor and outrebounded HU by 10. Huntington is currently receiving votes in the NAIA poll.
The first half was a game of runs. Elijah Malone scored five early points to put the Lancers on top 13-11.
The Foresters (13-6, 5-4) buried a trio of 3-pointers in the first nine minutes, helping erase Grace’s lead and surge ahead by six.
A slam from Malone and a triple by Frankie Davidson put Grace back on top with five minutes left in the half.
Jakob Gibbs scored four points over the final two minutes of the half to move the Lancers ahead by six. HU responded with back-to-back triples, but Ian Scott ended the half with a ferocious putback slam dunk in traffic in the waning seconds.
Grace went into halftime with a 44-42 edge on the scoreboard thanks to Scott’s slam. Eight players scored for the Lancers in the half as the team shot 60 percent from the floor.
HU shot slightly worse at 50 percent but turned the ball over just twice to aid its efficiency.
The Foresters stormed into the second half with eight straight points to grab the lead.
Grace countered with seven unanswered points, including an and-1 from Scott to put Grace ahead 51-50.
The teams traded small leads over the next few minutes, and HU led by five with 13 minutes on the clock.
But Grace made the next definitive run to change the momentum of the game. Jake Wadding used his athleticism over a few plays to score six points in transition, and a timely triple by Carter Stoltzfus gave Grace a 67-62 lead.
The Lancers scored three more points to cap off a 13-0 surge, and Grace never trailed again.
The Lancers built their lead up to 11, which helped as the Foresters attempted a late comeback.
Huntington managed to pull within three with less than five minutes to play, but Jakob Gibbs responded with a 3-pointer. Grace’s lead was never fewer than four points for the rest of the way.
The Foresters sent Grace to the foul line multiple times down the stretch, and the Lancers made the home team pay. Grace made 11 free throws over the final 2:59, pulling away for the final 11-point victory.
Grace’s scoring was spread out well. Jakob Gibbs and Stoltzfus tied for team honors with 15 points with Stolzfus hitting 8 of 9 from the free throw line. Gibbs added five boards and three assists.
Wadding filled the stat sheet with 14 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists, and Malone tallied 14 points, 3 rebounds and 1 block.
Davidson had 13 points with seven rebounds, Scott notched 12 points, 4 boards and 3 assists, and Cade Gibbs added 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal.
Grace shot 52 percent from the floor, 29 percent on 3s and 83 percent from the foul line. HU shot 45 percent from the floor, 38 percent on 3-pointers and 71 percent on free throws.
Next up, the Lancers will repeat their matchups from last week — only by playing both teams at home. Grace will host rival Bethel on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and will host Huntington again on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Grace has a firm grip on second place in the league standings, sitting two games ahead of a four-way tie for third place.