Peterson tops 1,000 points in Grace’s comeback win
WINONA LAKE, Ind. – Grace’s women’s basketball team got revenge against Mt. Vernon Nazarene on Wednesday with a 70-62 victory.
The Lady Lancers flipped the script from the first matchup when MVNU outscored Grace 26-8 in the fourth quarter to beat the Lady Lancers.
But on Wednesday, Grace outscored the Cougars (14-9, 6-5 Crossroads League) by 12 in the final period to rally for the win.
Kelsie Peterson scored 14 points to reach 1,000 career points, becoming the 17th player in program history to reach that milestone.
Vironnica Drake tallied a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Brooke Sugg added 13 points and four boards.
The Lady Lancers (11-12, 5-6 CL) held MVNU to 30 percent shooting for the game and outrebounded the Cougars by seven.
In the first quarter, Grace fell behind and never got the lead again the opening half. The Cougars hit back-to-back triples late in the half to pull ahead 32-22.
But Grace responded with a hoop from Sugg and a memorable 3-pointer from Drake. After MVNU missed on a shot, Drake rebounded the ball with seconds on the clock. She took a few quick dribbles and unleashed a hopeful shot from three-fourths of the court which banked in to beat the buzzer.
Drake’s heave cut the Cougars’ lead to 32-27 at halftime.
MVNU quickly reasserted a comfortable lead in the third quarter. The Cougars scored eight unanswered points after halftime to go ahead 40-27, but Grace charged back.
Micaela Box gave Grace a spark in the third quarter with seven points in a three-minute span, and the Lady Lancers trailed by four entering the last stanza.
The Cougars still held a five-point edge with 3:40 left in the game. Sugg buried a deep 3-pointer, and later Peterson hit two free throws to tie the score 58-58 with 2:37 left.
After MVNU hit one free throw to regain the lead, Box answered. Box scored on back-to-back plays to hand Grace a three-point lead which the Lady Lancers would not surrender.
The Cougars turned the ball over on the next two possessions, and Grace iced the win with four free throws.
Box scored 13 points off the bench after shooting 5-for-7, and Kaylie Warble added six points and nine boards.
The Lady Lancers stay at home Saturday, hosting Goshen at 1 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the men’s team.
