Grace Basketball: Pilots Get Past Lancers
WINONA LAKE – The much-anticipated Grace versus Bethel rivalry added another classic on Saturday as the Lancers came up short 80-77.
Grace’s men’s basketball team led with 1:30 remaining, but the No. 17 Pilots (9-2, 2-1 Crossroads League) made plays in key moments down the stretch to secure the win.
Chad Hoffer had a career day in defeat, erupting for a game-best 26 points on 9-of-15 shooting. He exploded for 18 points after halftime—exactly half of Grace’s total in the period.
But turnovers doomed the Lancers (8-4, 0-3 CL); Grace committed 20 turnovers, a season-worst, resulting in 20 points for Bethel off those mistakes.
The teams could hardly be separated from tipoff to final buzzer. The score was tied 15 times, and the lead changed hands 17 times overall.
Bethel held a slight edge for the final portions of the first half, connecting on two free throws in the final minute to go on top 44-41 at halftime.
The Lancers hurt themselves with 11 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes. Bethel, on the other hand, shot 48 percent and outrebounded Grace by six. The Pilots were also a perfect 14-of-14 on free throws in the first half.
Hoffer gave Grace a spark after halftime, scoring six points in six minutes to propel Grace on top 49-48.
The Pilots responded with a 12-3 run to claim a 60-52 advantage. Minutes later, Bethel opened up its largest lead of the contest at 10 points with 7:55 remaining.
It was Hoffer again who jumpstarted the Lancers. The junior slashed and muscled his way to six more points to help erase the Pilots’ lead.
With Bethel clinging to a one-point lead, Erik Bowen converted an and-1 with four minutes remaining to put Grace ahead by two.
With 1:30 on the clock, Hoffer sank two foul shots to put the Lancers on top 76-75.
But the wheels came off for Grace in the clutch moments. The Lancers missed a fastbreak opportunity to extend the lead, and Bethel responded with two free throws to take the lead.
Stephen Halstead hit 1-of-2 from the foul line to even the score with 47 seconds remaining. Bethel ate up the clock on the ensuing possession, converting an and-1 with 12 seconds to play for the final margin of victory. Grace’s attempted 3-pointer to tie the game was blocked to complete regulation.
Bowen scored 12 of his 17 points in the first half; he finished with a double-double after grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds.
Halstead scored 11 points, and freshman guard Braxton Linville, a NorthWood High School product, added 10 points and four boards.
Godfrey tallied four points and six rebounds, and Jaret Sons chipped in three points and four boards.
Junior Gage Ott led the Pilots with 16 points. Senior Caleb Oetjen had 13 points and eight rebounds.
Tanner Shepherd, a Triton graduate, had a big game for the Pilots with 12 points. Shepherd, a junior, was 2-3 from distance and 4-4 from the line in 20 strong minutes of action.
Tippecanoe Valley graduate Nick Kindig, a senior, had nine points and Warsaw graduate Jordyn Coon, also a senior, finished with eight points and three rebounds for the Pilots.
As a team, Grace struggled to shoot 42 percent from the floor. The Lancers were also stifled into 3-of-16 shooting from beyond the arc, the team’s worst outside shooting performance of the season.
Grace had five assists on 26 made field goals and turned the ball over 20 times.
The Bethel bench outscored the Lancer reserves by a 29-9 count in the contest. The Pilots now lead he all-time series with Grace 65-63.
The Lancers will travel to Huntington on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Bethel will host Goshen on Wednesday night.