VALLEJO, Calif. – The Grace College men’s basketball team completed a successful trip to California with a 68-64 upset of No. 23 California Maritime on Friday night.

The Lancers, who defeated Menlo on Thursday, return to Indiana with an 11-3 record thanks to a strong defensive effort against the Keelhaulers (7-5).

Grace overcame a subpar shooting night of 36 percent on Friday. The Lancers shot just 29 percent in the second half, but Grace still outscored Cal Maritime 31-23 after halftime thanks to a lockdown defensive performance.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair with five ties and four lead changes. The Keelhaulers made a late spurt to go into halftime with a 41-37 advantage. 

Logan Irwin’s 10 points and Chad Hoffer’s 12 led Grace in the first half. Hoffer was a perfect 4-for-4 from the floor, making both of his 3-pointers and both free throws.

The Keelhaulers maintained a slight lead at the midway point of the second half, and Grace faced a 54-47 deficit with 10:43 remaining.

But Grace’s defense was about to win the day. The Lancers held Cal Maritime to 10 points over the final 10 minutes, including a key four-minute stretch late in the contest.

The Lancers used a quick 10-2 run—including five points from Hoffer—to regain a two-point advantage. Cal Maritime scored on back-to-back possessions to go ahead by two with 5:29 on the clock. But the hosts were held scoreless for the next 3:56 to allow Grace to grab momentum.

Hoffer tied the game at the free throw line, and he pulled the Lancers ahead for good with a basket on Grace’s next possession. A pair of free throws from Erik Bowen gave Grace a 65-60 advantage with 1:59 left, capping off a game-changing 7-0 run.

The Keelhaulers made the end interesting, scoring twice late to cut Grace’s margin to one point with 1:03 left. But Hoffer hit 3-of-4 from the foul line to give the Lancers their final margin of victory.

Hoffer enjoyed a career night with 24 points, besting his former personal high of 15 points. He drilled three 3-pointers and hit 9-of-10 from the foul line to lead Grace’s offense.

Bowen earned his ninth double-double of the season with 15 points and 15 rebounds, and Irwin ended with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.

The Lancers return home for their next two games, which bookend the New Year. Grace hosts Indiana Tech on Dec. 30 and Spring Arbor on Jan. 2.