WINONA LAKE, Ind. – No. 3 Indiana Wesleyan men's basketball was narrowly defeated by No. 2 Grace 83-78 on Saturday. Despite the Wildcats' strong first half, leading by seven at one point, the Lancers overtook the lead in the second half. IWU's 9-for-24 shooting from beyond the arc and 46 total rebounds were notable efforts, but GC's shooting accuracy at 49.2% ultimately secured the victory.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Marion, Ind. | Luckey Arena
- Records: IWU 22-4, 12-4 CRL | GC 24-2, 14-2 CRL
- NAIA Top 25 Rankings: IWU – #3 | GC – #2
FIRST HALF
- Both teams shot over 60% from the field to start the game as Grace held a 17-14 lead with 14:21 remaining.
- Five offensive rebounds and seven second-chance points gave IWU a 26-21 lead midway through the half.
- A 3-pointer for GC narrowed the Wildcat lead to 41-40 near the end of the half.
- A put back layup for Caedmon Bontrager at the buzzer sent the red and gray into the halftime locker room with a 43-40 lead.
SECOND HALF
- IWU opened the half with a 3-pointer by Bontrager, setting a strong tone early as he continued to build on his impressive scoring night.
- A 9-1 run for Grace gave them their first lead since early in the first half, 60-58, with 10:00 remaining.
- Millen McCartney's second three of the day put IWU back in the lead, 64-60.
- A pivotal 9-0 late run gave Grace a 69-64 advantage with 6:00 left.
- GC maintained its edge, closing the half with strong free-throw shooting to secure an 83–78 victory.
KEY WILDCATS
NEXT HOME GAME
- IWU will be back in Luckey Arena for their final two games of the regular season, beginning on Wednesday to take on Marian at 7:00 PM.
- Links for tickets, video, and stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com.
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