No. 6 Warriors overpower Lancers
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace’s men’s basketball team could not keep pace with No. 6 Indiana Tech on Thursday, losing 92-63.
The Lancers (6-8) were held to under 33 points in each half, and the Warriors (11-2) cruised to victory thanks to an impressive first half.
Grace was unable to slow down the Warriors throughout the opening half. Indiana Tech racked up 57 first-half points, shooting 66 percent from the floor in the process.
The beginning of the contest saw Grace start strong. Erik Bowen scored four quick points, and Stephen Halstead buried a 3-pointer for a 9-4 lead.
The Warriors responded with a dominant stretch over the next seven minutes. Indiana Tech used a 25-6 run to go ahead by double digits, and Grace never caught up.
Indiana Tech pulled ahead 57-32 at halftime thanks to 32 points in the paint and 15 second-chance points.
Matt Jennings was a lone bright spot on offense for the Lancers, scoring 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting before halftime.
Grace showed signs of life in the second half. Logan Godfrey scored four straight points to jumpstart a rally, and Haden Deaton added four more including a fastbreak dunk.
But Grace’s 10-0 run was short lived. After managing to cut the Warriors’ cushion down to 19, Indiana Tech countered with a 24-8 run of its own.
Jennings earned scoring honors for the night. He scored a career-high 25 points on 8-of-18 shooting, going 8-of-9 from the free throw line.
Godfrey finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals, and Deaton added nine points and three boards.
For the game Grace shot 37 percent from the floor compared to 54 percent for Indiana Tech. The Warriors had a plus-18 advantage in rebounding and scored 56 points in the paint.
The Lancers will look to recover in Florida, playing a pair of games in the Sunshine State. Grace plays at Webber International on Monday and at Warner on Tuesday.