Grace Basketball: Lancers Put Pedal To The Metal
DEERFIELD, Ill. – Grace’s men’s basketball team followed up its first loss of the year with a 31-point rout of Silver Lake on Saturday.
The Lancers ended the Trinity International Tournament with a 109-78 win, putting six players in double-digit scoring.
Grace shot strong in both halves, hitting 53 percent in the first half and 56 percent in the second half. The Lancers (5-1) also drilled 18 3-pointers, including five apiece from Stephen Halstead and Jaret Sons.
Grace set the tone early by scoring 14 unanswered points to start the game. The Lancers built their cushion up into the 20s in the first half, claiming a 56-32 advantage at halftime thanks to a last-second triple from Tre Olive.
In the second half, Grace substituted freely. The Lancers still ballooned their lead up to as many as 42 points after halftime.
Sons led Grace in scoring off the bench, putting up 19 points and nine rebounds which included five treys.
Erik Bowen was a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor, racking up 15 points, 9 boards, and 3 assists. Halstead had 15 points with five triples in 20 minutes of work.
Olive had 14 points and four assists in 18 minutes, and Logan Godfrey added 10 points and 11 boards.
Charlie Warner was ruthlessly efficient with 12 points on six shots, and Braxton Linville added nine points and six assists without a turnover.
All 11 Lancers who saw the court scored for Grace, and no one played more than 26 minutes.
“We played with a greater sense of purpose and energy than yesterday. There is just no substitute for approaching the game with passion to create crispness in defensive effort and ball movement,” said Grace head coach Jim Kessler. “As poorly as we played yesterday, we were sharp today. No excuses but inconsistency is one sign of youth. Now the challenge is to carry it forward as we host a very good Cincinnati Christian team next week.”
The Lancers will return home on Tuesday at 7 p.m. against Cincinnati Christian, a team who is receiving votes in the NAIA poll.