Grace sinks Pilots, will host championship on Tuesday

WINONA LAKE, Ind. - Grace's men's basketball team is headed back to the Crossroads League Tournament championship game for the fifth straight season.

The No. 2 Lancers took down rival No. 19 Bethel 89-82 in the semifinals, charging past the Pilots using a balanced effort.

Grace (27-3) had six players score in double figures, including a quartet of Lancers with 14 points.

The Lancers are aiming for their fifth consecutive CL Tournament crown. Grace will host No. 4 Indiana Wesleyan on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the championship game at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center. 

Grace suffered a sluggish start to Saturday's semifinal. The Lancers came up empty on their first six possessions. Ian Raasch gave Grace its first basket 2:35 into the contest.

The Pilots maintained their head start over the Lancers, eventually opening up an eight-point lead after eight minutes of action.

Grace jumped to life midway into the half, sparked by a 3-pointer from Cannen Houser and a pair of free throws from Gavin Betten.

The Pilots still held a slight lead until the closing minutes of the half. Two layups from Gage Sefton and Betten tied the score at 34s.

A deep 3-pointer from Ian Raasch beat the shot clock with 1:55 remaining, giving Grace its first lead of the game at 37-35. Grady Carpenter followed that up with a tough, contested layup to ignite the packed home crowd, and Grace charged into halftime with a 41-37 lead.

The teams shot similarly from the floor in the opening half with Grace making 53 percent and Bethel at 47 percent.

The Lancers began the second half with confidence. Hunter Walston canned a triple on the first possession, and Carpenter followed with a layup.

Six minutes into the second half, Grace began to strengthen its grip on the game. The Lancers erupted with a 16-3 run over a four-minute span.

Gage Sefton hit a triple, and Walston scored four points. Michael Wellman was a key catalyst. In less than 90 seconds, Wellman canned a triple, got a steal and threw down a breakaway dunk.

After Betten's crafty score in the post, Grace had opened up a 68-53 lead with 9:55 on the clock.

A minute later, Tyler Raasch's basket pushed Grace into its largest lead of the game at 17 (72-55).

The Pilots weren't prepared to fade, however. Bethel did its best to keep within striking distance, using an onslaught of 3-pointers to strike back.

The Pilots drilled nine 3-pointers in the second half, scoring 60 percent of their second-half points from downtown.

Bethel made four 3s in a four-minute span and managed to trim Grace's lead down to seven with 3:53 remaining.

A pair of layups from Betten and Sefton slowed Bethel's momentum. The Pilots eventually clawed to within five after yet another triple, but Grace executed down the stretch to ice the game.

Walston, Sefton and Ian Raasch combined to make 5 of 6 from the free throw line over the final 64 seconds, and the Lancers locked up their place in the championship with a seven-point win.

Grace had a four-way tie for scoring honors. Ian Raasch had 14 points and six rebounds, Walston notched 14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks, Tyler Raasch produced 14 points and six boards, and Betten added 14 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists.

Sefton had the game's only double-double, posting 13 points and 11 boards. Wellman was Grace's sixth player in double digits, amassing 10 points, 4 steals and 2 assists.

Carpenter passed out seven assists with four points, and Houser and Luke Bricker each hit a 3-pointer off the bench.

Grace finished the game shooting 57 percent overall and 35 percent on 3s. Bethel shot 42 percent and 32 percent on triples (11 of 34).

Tuesday's game will be a rematch of the 2024 CL Tournament championship, which Grace won at the MOCC. Tuesday's game will be broadcast for free on the Urban Edge Network: https://urbanedgenetwork.net/watch/11995.