MEN’S BASKETBALL

Wednesday night’s NAIA Top 20 matchup didn’t disappoint with the 16th-ranked Lancers of Grace College (13-3, 5-1) eventually grinding out the 70-66 win over the 17th-ranked Huntington men’s basketball team in a crowded Platt Arena.

As is always the case in this well-documented rivalry, both squads left it all on the court with Grace avenging their only regular season loss last year, a lopsided 99-79 decision on Valentine’s Day.

Aside from Grace scoring on the opening possession, the Foresters were the early favorites with Jackson Paul and Lane Sparks taking control in the opening few minutes. The pair scored HU’s first 14 points after which their teammates picked up the slack for a 20-10 advantage by the midway point of the first half.

Huntington took a 38-29 lead into intermission and remained in the driver’s seat through the first several minutes of the second half. Down 40-32 three minutes in, Grace finally found their footing. Behind six points from Ian Raasch, the Lancers reeled off eight unanswered points to force the game’s fourth tie at 40-40 by the 15-minute mark.

Alford’s crew responded with the next six points, but Grace returned the favor to force the fifth and final tie of the night at 46-46. Unbeknownst to anyone in Platt Arena, Maximus Gizzi’s jumper just a few possessions later that put his team up 49-48 proved HU’s last lead of the night with ten minutes still remaining.

The Foresters never strayed more than two possessions from their guests but couldn’t get back over the hump. After connecting on just one three-pointer through the first 32 minutes, the Lancers canned three over the course of the final eight minutes in addition to knocking down freebies in the final two minutes to ward off the Foresters.

While it wasn’t the outcome Huntington was counting on, there was cause for celebration in the waning minutes. With 2:40 remaining, Landen Jordan became the 55th member of HU’s 1,000 point club. He knocked down a pair of free throws with his second make proving his 1,000th career point. He entered the contest needing just six points to join this elite group of Foresters.

Jordan finished with eight points and five rebounds. Paul topped HU with 16 points and four steals. Sparks added 15 points and five boards while Kaden Johnson posted a double double of ten points and ten rebounds to go along with four blocks.

Raasch led Grace with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Ian Scott tossed in 18 while Justin DeGraaf came off the bench to net 14.

Huntington (12-4, 2-4) hits the road for Spring Arbor on Saturday with tip-off slated for 1:00 p.m.