The Grace College men’s basketball team went 2-1 this past week on a trip to Puerto Rico. The Lancers, who return to action with a home game on Dec. 31, are shown above with Javier Carrasquillo, the Mayor of Cidra (Photo provided)

WINONA LAKE – The Grace College men’s basketball team played three games against NCAA Division II competition in Puerto Rico this week, winning two of three games.

The Lancers beat the University of Puerto Rico (UPR) at Rio Piedras and Bayamon and lost to UPR-Mayaguez in overtime. Greg Miller was Grace’s top scorer in the week, tallying 19.7 points per game to go along with 12.3 rebounds.

In Grace’s first game against UPR-Rio Piedras, the Lancers (7-6) survived a 1-of-10 shooting performance from beyond the arc to win 69-56. Miller was a force to be reckoned with, producing 22 points and 14 boards on 7-of-13 shooting. Niko Read added 12 points, and Jared Treadway tallied eight points and seven rebounds.

The Lancers’ second game of the week against UPR-Mayaguez started off well. Grace claimed a 11-point halftime lead, depsite making just 13-of-39 from the floor (33 percent). The hosts made a strong comeback in the second half, however, connecting on over 50 percent of their shots to tie the score and send the game to overtime.

Grace’s 23 turnovers eventually got the best of the team as UPR-Mayaguez outscored the Lancers 14-8 in overtime to win, 81-75. Grace held a dominant 54-37 advantage in rebounds, but the Lancers made less than 36 percent of their shots.

Jared Treadway had a career-high day with 20 points and 16 rebounds, hitting 7-of-12 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the foul line. Miller added 18 points and 15 boards, and Brandon Vanderhegghen scored 12 points.

The defensive effort for Grace fueled its 58-48 victory in the final game of their trip versus UPR-Bayamon. The Lancers limited UPR-Bayamon to just 16 points before halftime. The hosts managed just six made field goals in the first half. Grace, who only scored 24 points in the first half, cruised to a 10-point win to close out the week.

Grace was lethally efficient in the second half from the floor, making 12-of-16 (75 percent) from the floor. Greg Miller poured in 19 points and eights rebounds to pace Grace, Caleb Featherston added 11 points, Brandon Vanderhegghen tallied nine points and eight rebounds, and Kyle Fillman chipped in nine points and six boards.

The Lancers will rest until Dec. 31 when Grace hosts Ashford for a 4 p.m. New Year’s Eve game at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center. Grace will also host Bethel in a women’s/men’s doubleheader on Jan. 4 in a must-see clash with their Crossroads League rivals at the MOCC.